I Won't Say I'm in Love
by fegs
Summary: All she wanted was him to stop acting like she was any other girl. Falling for him was not a part of Cornelia's plan.
1. Perfect

Well, I said I'd be back! This is my new W.I.T.C.H. story. I guess you could say this one takes place in an AU, since the girls aren't guardiens.

So I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as you liked W.I.T.C.H.: Forever Guardians!

**I DO NOT OWN W.I.T.C.H. I DO NOT OWN HERCULES. ALL RIGHTS TO hERCULES GO TO DISNEY**

Yes, you'll understand why I mentioned Hercules. Don't worry, this is not a crossover with it. I just love Disney movies. (:

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**1 - Perfect**

Slim, blonde, head cheerleader. Perfect. If you walked through the halls of Sheffield High and heard any of those words in the same sentence, there was only one girl they could be talking about. Cornelia Hale was perfect. It was simple as that. She wasn't just the talk of Sheffield, but the talk of every other school in the district. Everyone knew who she was. If they didn't want to be her, they _wanted _her. Everything from her long blonde hair that always fell in locks over her shoulders to her slim body that also has curves in all the right places to even the way she dresses. The one thing that set her apart from all of those other perfect, Daddy's little girls was that she actually had a personality that didn't shout, "I'm a shiny plastic." She was a genuinely nice person, besides the fact that if she really wanted to, she could be the biggest bitch Sheffield had ever seen.

It was the first day back from the summer holidays, and as the start of every school year started since freshman year, everyone was flocking past Cornelia's locker. Why? To catch a glimpse of what the trend for this school year was going to be. According to what she was wearing, every girl was going to go out tonight to buy a new off the shoulder shirt and matching sparkly flats.

"That is so cute," Alchemy, one of Cornelia's crowd, told her.

Cornelia smiled, "Thank you." She said, although she already knew how cute it was. She shut her locker door and turned on her heel, taking the lead down the hallway. She somewhat slowed down when she heard Hay Lim's voice calling her from behind.

"Cornelia!" Hay Lin caught up shortly, and was still half-running just to keep up with Cornelia's naturally quick pace. "I found out the school play this year is going to be Hercules. I'll be directing and-"

"Great!" Cornelia interrupted. She planted her feet on the ground, causing everyone around her to come to a complete stop. She turned to face Hay Lin, "That sounds great."

"So I'm just making sure you're still interested in auditioning-"

"For the part of Meg." Cornelia finished for her.

Hay Lin grinned, "Good." She then reached into her bag and pulled out a set of papers held together by a paperclip, "Here's the script. Practice and you'll for sure get the part."

"Are you kidding?" Alchemy's voice broke in. She let out a small chuckle, "Cornelia doesn't need to practice. She's been staring in plays since she was five. She was Cinderella in grade two, remember? She doesn't need practice."

"Alchemy." Cornelia interrupted. Her tone made it perfectly clear it was time for Alchemy to be quiet. She brought her attention back to Hay Lin, "When are auditions?"

"Thursday."

"What-Thursday!? Only three days?"

Hay Lin shook her head, "I know. The board really wants to outdo themselves this year. They want it to be _phenomenal_."

Cornelia nodded slowly, taking the script from Hay Lin's hands, "I'll be there. Thanks Hay." she smiled and patted Hay Lin on the shoulder before starting her walk off down the hall again.

Hay Lin grinned back, watching the large group wander around the corner. The hallway was empty now.

"Ahem." The sound of someone clearing their throat behind her caused Hay Lin to jump and spin around. She caught Irma Lair's eye and smiled brightly, "Oh, hey Irma!" She took a few steps toward her friend and gave her a quick hug. "How was your summer?"

"Why do you even talk to her?" Irma suddenly blurted, "She's a total-"

"Please don't start that Irma." Hay Lin almost begged.

"Why not? She's such a-"

"Irma please! You're both my friends."

Irma shrugged, "That doesn't mean I have to like her."

"But it does mean you can't bad-mouth each other in front of me. Cornelia got over your guys' fight a long time ago. Why can't you?"

"She ditched us, Hay. Why can't you accept that?"

"She ditched you." Hay Lin corrected her. She watched Irma's expression turn sour.

The two had been best friends for two years, but the three years before that, Irma and Cornelia had been tighter than a turtle and its shell. Irma had never even told Hay Lin why they stopped being friends, but it was obvious it was something to do with a boy. After Cornelia had moved onto the popular crowd, where everyone knew she belonged, Irma and Hay Lin met and instantly built a bond.

"Yeah, well…" Irma started. She cut herself off and immediately changed the subject, "I'll see you at lunch."

... ...

"I don't know, Hay Lin." Caleb Hastings shrugged his shoulders and took a bite of his apple, "In the last three years that I've had her in my English class, the only words she's said to me were 'Can you sharpen my pencil?'"

Next to him, Matt Olsen nodded his head, "Yeah. The girl thinks she's royalty."

Hay Lin had been in the drama club since freshman year. That was when she met Cornelia. Even back then Cornelia had managed to land a key role in the school's production of Cinderella (the school had a thing for doing Disney plays). She was cast as Anastasia, one of the evil stepsisters, only she had to wear a wig to hide the fact that she was actually blonde and prettier than the senior who played Cinderella. Anyways, the two got to know each other through all of the hard work they had dedicated to the play - Hay Lin was one of the few stage directors. Aside from what people were saying about her, Hay Lin found Cornelia to be nice, and funny at that. You had to respect a girl that didn't care what anyone else thought. (They weren't exactly the cool kids of Sheffield, but they weren't geeks. They were like the lower middle class at the school. Smart - not too smart - involved in a few organized sports, but not cool enough to have their names remembered by the cool kids. That's how Irma described them anyway: Lower middle class.)

After Matt's and Caleb's comments on Cornelia, Hay Lin found herself once again having to defend the blonde.

Hay Lin shot them both glares, "You guys, I've been working with her on plays for three years. She's one of those people that you need to get to know to like. Believe me, I thought the same thing."

Will Vandom, who sat next to Matt, spooned some of the cafeteria food onto her fork and shoved in in her mouth. Will wasn't one for gossip, so when she started to speak after swallowing her food, everyone was in a sort of state of shock. "Really Hay, she's got those girls following her around all the time. Don't you think that makes her come off a little snobbish?"

Hay Lin looked over her shoulder to the table behind theirs. Cornelia sat with Alchemy and Elyon on either side of her, both laughing, and looking almost like they were waiting for Cornelia to say something else so they could force a laugh again.

"Look, if you guys don't believe me, you should try out for the school play. Then you'll have to work with her and-"

"Then you'll be happy to know I was already planning on that." Caleb started, and Hay Lin's eyes brightened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Taranee Cook suddenly burst out, "You're trying out? But you're, like, the last person I would expect to be into that."

Caleb shrugged his shoulders, "I need an extracurricular. I don't have enough credits to graduate this year if I don't get into something like that."

"But still," Irma had to laugh, "_The play?"_

Caleb nodded his head, "It's the play or the science club." There was a sudden wave of understanding among the group now. If there was one thing Caleb absolutely sucked at, it was science. Caleb joining the Science club would be him basically saying, 'I'm committing suicide. Tell my mother I love her.'

Irma was suddenly rolling in her chair with laughter, "Oh my gosh. Caleb, I just got the funniest idea!" Everyone's attention turned to her and she continued to speak through her giggles, "Cornelia's a shoo-in for the roll of Meg. And if someone like you gets to be Hercules-"

"Someone like me?" Caleb tried to sound hurt, but the words didn't actually offend him. He nodded slowly and pushed out his chair. He stood up and threw his backpack over his shoulder.

"Caleb!" Irma stopped herself from laughing any longer, "Hey, I didn't mean it like that."

"No…I'm pretty sure you did."

"Caleb-"

"Just leave it, Irma. I got the message pretty clear."

Caleb looked down at Irma at first with a glare, and then, slowly, his face broke into a smile and he plopped back down, "Gottcha." He winked.

Irma let her mouth drop. She threw a punch at Caleb's arm and made sure it was hard enough to leave a bruise.

Hay Lin's, like Irma's, mouth dropped open. "Caleb…that was really good."

Caleb let his arm drape over the back of his chair and he shrugged.

"No, Irma's right!" Hay Lin was nodding her head, "You should go out for Hercules. I mean, if you don't get him, I'm sure you'll get a part just as good."

Caleb forced a chuckle, "Sorry, I was hoping for a smaller part than that. Maybe the guy who pulls the curtains."

Hay Lin leaned back in her chair. She _was_ the student director this year. It was partly her decision who starred in the play. And after what she just saw - as Irma would say - Caleb was a shoo-in for Hercules.

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And that's the first chapter!

Here's a little glimpse at the next chapter:

... ...

The sudden movement of the door caused her to stiffen, and then she found herself with her butt on the floor and her hands behind her back for support. Hay Lin, Martin, and the acting coach whom she still didn't know the name of were the one thing keeping her from cursing wildly at whoever had swung the door open so suddenly.

"Oh…geez, I'm sorry." Someone's voice broke the awkwardness of her trying so hard not to rub her butt (which was really hurting, for that matter).

Cornelia shook her head and forced herself to look up, "It's not a big-" she stopped when the stranger held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. "Thanks," she mumbled, and for the first time catching his eye. They were the color of the emeralds on the earrings she had gotten on her last birthday.

_... ..._

Review please!


	2. Auditions

Here it is; chapter 2! This story has been really fun to write so far!

I hope everyone is enjoying it so far. Thank you to those who reviewed and added this to your alerts. It means a lot.

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**2 - Auditions**

Cornelia didn't hesitate before pushing open the door to the drama room. The room was silent when she walked in, except for the irritating clicking of her heels. All eyes focused on her when she stopped in front of the director, acting coach, and the scripts writer.

"Hey Cornelia," Hay Lin said it without looking up. She was busy flipping through the script. When she reached the monologue said by the character Meg, she stopped and looked up. "Martin's going to read you in."

Martin, that was his name. Cornelia was terrible when it came to names. Memorizing a script was easy, but for some reason, she just couldn't remember peoples names. Anyway, Martin started, obviously reading a line said by Hercules. His squeamish voice sounded like anything but Hercules, but Cornelia didn't complain.

"My name's Hercules…and you are?"

Cornelia knew not to take a deep breath because it was so ungraceful when it came to acting. Instead she breathed in silently through her nose as Martin spoke and then started with her line, "My name's Megura. My friends call me Meg," she smirked, making sure her tone had the smug sort of natural sexiness Meg's voice always carried.

Martin immediately cut that scene and flipped a few pages down. "Read scene five in act two." He said.

Cornelia flipped through the script she held and looked over what Martin was referring to. She took in the words and then tossed the script to the side and began in a convincingly worried tone. "Wonder boy! Thank goodness!" She took a few steps forward quickly, then came to an abrupt stop, as if Hercules was actually standing in front of her, "Down by the creak. Two children were playing and the was-there was this terrible rockslide."

"Good." Hay Lin cut her off. The rest of the audition went on like this; her being asked to present various lines to them, all carrying different moods. It was clear they wanted to see her range.

"Thanks, Cornelia. The cast list should be up tomorrow. We want call backs as soon as possible." Hay Lin informed her, and with that Cornelia was sent off.

She picked up the script she had tossed on the ground and let herself smile once more for the three judging her. She turned on her heel and started towards the door, which swung open just before she could reach for the handle. The sudden movement of the door caused her to stiffen, and then she found herself with her butt on the floor and her hands behind her back for support. Hay Lin, Martin, and the acting coach whom she still didn't know the name of were the one thing keeping her from cursing wildly at whoever had swung the door open so suddenly.

"Oh…geez, I'm sorry." Someone's voice broke the awkwardness of her trying so hard not to rub her butt (which was really hurting, for that matter).

Cornelia shook her head and forced herself to look up, "It's not a big-" she stopped when the stranger held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. "Thanks," she mumbled, and for the first time catching his eye. They were the color of the emeralds on the earrings she had gotten on her last birthday.

"Not a problem," he replied quickly, almost robotic. She could tell by his expression that he had noticed who she was. Sometimes everybody knowing you're name wasn't the greatest thing, especially if you could tell by their sudden realization that they weren't a fan. He immediately let go of her arm that she realized he had been holding rather tightly, and headed to the center of the room. Cornelia took that as her cue to get out.

Strange, she thought. Most boys tried to introduce themselves to her on their first encounter, and he didn't give her so much as a grin after realizing who he had knocked over. Upon closing the door, she heard his voice addressing the judges, "Hello, I'm Caleb, and I'd like to audition for…" and then she couldn't hear anymore. The door between them was like a sound-proof barrier.

... ...

Caleb entered the school Friday morning with Irma and Will on either side of him.

"And…you just bailed?" Will was clearly surprised. He had just told the two about how he knocked over Cornelia. "Caleb, you should have said sorry at least once more. Girls like that."

Caleb shrugged his shoulders, "I don't want her to like me. She's too full of it."

"You got that right," Irma mumbled beside him.

"So why is it bothering you?" Will suddenly questioned him.

"Bothering me? It's not bothering me, Will." he simply responded.

"Yes it is," Will demanded. "We've been friends since we were five, Caleb. I know that face."

Caleb groaned. Of course Will would notice that. Fine, he thought. No sense lying. "It's just…for a moment our eyes met…and…well, she's pretty fine." he chuckled at the end of his answer, and he felt Irma's fist dig into his shoulder again. "And I thought you were different! You're just as shallow than the rest of the guys in this place!"

Caleb continued laughing, louder than before, and Will joined him. He only stopped when a small Asian girl with her hair in two high pigtails was bobbing down the hallway in their direction. In her hands was a long piece of paper.

"Hay Lin!" Caleb called out to her, and broke into a slow jog, "How'd my audition go?"

Hay Lin flashed her teeth, "Well, they think you're an incredible actor."

"Great, so I got the part?"

Hay Lin shook her head, "Not exactly."

"Well then…" Caleb started, but stopped when Hay Lin turned and tacked the paper she was holding to the Bulletin board they were standing beside. At the top it said in large, bolded letters: **Call backs. **And underneath it had separate lists of Characters with a few names of those who auditioned underneath. Caleb immediately turned his attention to Hercules' father, since he tried out for the old man, but his name wasn't there.

"What? Hay Lin, you said you would get me the part!"

Hay Lin flashed her teeth once more, "And I did." Caleb looked at her, evidently confused, and Hay Lin brought up her arm. With her index finger she pointed to Hercules' name, and ran her finger along the two names beneath that. Caleb's was the second down.

"Hay Lin!" He turned towards her, half-yelling, "I said I wanted a small part!"

Hay Lin took a step backwards and replied, "If it were up to me, you would have gotten Hercules anyways. You really convinced me you were upset with Irma yesterday at lunch." She pursed her lips once tightly, then continued, "But this decision was all Martin's and Ms. Monty's decision."

Caleb ran a hand through his hair and ground his teeth together, "Why would they give me that part?"

"Well, aside from the fact that you were really good as his father…" Hay Lin seemed to lose her train of thought.

Caleb stood, waiting with his teeth still ground together.

"When you walked in yesterday, and knocked Cornelia down," Hay Lin started up again, "They thought they noticed a connection similar to Meg and Hercules. Or…at least a connection they wanted to see."

Caleb crossed his arms and soaked that bit of information in, "Wait-what!?"

Hay Lin sighed and pointed to Meg's name on the cast list. "There was only one girl good enough to play Meg, and that was Cornelia." Under Meg's character was only one name. Cornelia Hale. "Ms. Monty, Martin and I all agreed that it was obvious she was really good. No other girl had a chance at getting this role." She paused and turned back to Caleb, "So it comes down to you being Hercules or not being in the play at all. And I'm telling you now Caleb, after seeing the instant connection between you and Cornelia, you've got the upper hand."

Then he caught Hay Lin's eye. He noticed that when she talked this time her voice was lowered to a whisper. She was telling him he wasn't supposed to hear, "You and the other candidate for Hercules are both gonna act with Cornelia at call backs today. Whoever does best with her gets the part."

And then she walked past him. Caleb stood still for a moment, contemplating whether that had really happened. It did, obviously. He noticed that Will had joined him, or rather, Will was looking at the cast list.

"Wow Caleb!" Will turned to him with a bright smile. "You're in!"

_Not just yet. _Caleb thought, but he already knew the truth. He had to either deal with it and hold on to the lead role, or give it up and not have the credits to graduate.

"Oh my God, the list!" A girls shriek came out behind him. And then three girls ran in front of him. Caleb immediately recognized them to be Cornelia and her two little follower girls, Alchemy and Elyon.

He stood by Will, watching Cornelia run her slender finger along the list until she stopped at Meg and gasped. "I got it! I'm Meg!" She spun around and was rewarded with her friends hugs and squeals.

He looked down at Will, who was returning his 'let's get out of here' expression. They continued on down the hall, and Caleb immediately became drowned in his thoughts. He needed that role, or he'd be stuck at Sheffield for a whole year longer than he needed to be. Sure, Cornelia was great to look at, but a pain to be around; and he was going to have to deal with that squealing _all year long. _Yep, this was going to be a long, long year.

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I don't have much to say, so I'll just skip to the little preview of chapter three:

... ...

He didn't expect anyone to reply after that. And they didn't. For some reason, they were all staring past him. Suddenly feeling like he knew the exact reason why, he turned around, and was facing someone's chest. A girls chest. It took self control to keep his mouth from dropping, and behind himself he heard Matt snickering.

"Eyes up here," the voice that the chest belonged to said. Caleb had to blink several times before anchoring his neck so he could look up at the girls face. Unmistakably, after seeing the blonde hair and the eyes he had looked into just yesterday, he knew the chest belonged to Cornelia Hale.

... ...

Review!


	3. Callbacks

I'm updating quickly because I had quite a bit of this story done by the time I even posted it.  
I just don't like putting up too many chapters at once...I think it takes out the suspense of waiting. But I try not to make you guys wait too long.

So...here's chapter 3! (:

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3-Callbacks

How could he just walk away like that? Cornelia sat in her history class next to the old blackboard. She was happy it had a blind over it today, that way she didn't have to worry about getting chalk all over her new outfit. She was remembering the boy who had knocked her over yesterday. After he caught her eye he looked almost like her wished he hadn't helped her up. Then this morning when she found out she was going to be playing Meg in the play, she had seen him again. Sure, she felt him staring at her back, but he didn't even make an attempt to introduce himself like most boys always did. He didn't even make an attempt to just say _hey. _It was too weird. So now, sitting in history, she had come to a conclusion. She needed to get to know him. She needed him to talk to her so she could find out why he appeared so uninterested.

Well, it appeared to be her lucky day, because that boy with the emerald eyes walked into the class with a redheaded girl. Cornelia recognized her as Hay Lin's friend…who's name she could not remember. The pair walked straight down her isle and took the two empty desks behind her. She noticed Alchemy and Elyon turn to look at her with their noses wrinkled, as if to say; Ewwww….those two are sitting behind you.

Sure, Hay Lin's crowd weren't that cool, but Cornelia didn't think they deserved to get wrinkled noses aimed at them. She ignored Elyon's and Alchemy's faces and took a deep breath before spinning around in her seat.

"Hey," she said rather quickly, and she found herself questioning why she was suddenly so nervous.

The emerald eyes looked up from their place to meet hers, and then floated back to the papers laid out on the desk. "Hey." he said.

Cornelia was taken back. _Hey? _Was that all he was going to say. She creased her brow and then continued, trying to make some conversation.

"So did you make call-backs?" She asked.

The eyes didn't once look up, "Yeah, I did."

She bit her bottom lip and felt her eyes widen. This would be so much easier if he would give better answers.

"Who'd you try out for?"

"Hercules' dad." He replied with the same bluntness.

Cornelia took that as her opportunity, "Well I got Meg."

He nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the papers, "I noticed."

Cornelia sighed, then drew in a deep breath. She suddenly realized, _he noticed. _So he was paying attention. She grinned in a way no one would notice, then started again, "So I guess I'll see you at call-backs then."

"I guess so." he replied.

"I'm Cornelia, by the way," she held out her hand; as if he didn't know her name.

Slowly, his gaze lifted so their eyes met once again. "Caleb," he gaze a sort of sideways smirk and shook her hand. He let it go quickly then turned in his seat sideways, so he could talk with the redhead.

Cornelia watched the two for a moment before spinning around and sitting properly. She let out a breath that she felt she had been holding through the whole conversation. That did not help one bit in her finding out why he seemed so uninterested in her. And the feeling that someone might not want her was starting to get on her nerves; after all, she was used to being the subject of everyone's fantasies. This left her with only one decision. She had to settle her nerves. She had to make him want her.

... ...

"What was Cornelia talking to you about in English today?" Will asked Caleb when he arrived at the lunch table and took his seat.

Caleb shrugged and plopped down on the chairs that weren't all that comfortable, "Just about the play."

"So she knows you might be her muscle-man? How'd she take it?" Irma asked, and as usual, there was heavy sarcasm in her voice.

Caleb's face instantly shot up and he glared at Irma, "How'd you know that!?"

Irma stifled a laugh, "The call-backs list is outside the office. It's hard to miss."

Matt, however, gave a different reaction, "Hercules!? Wow man, didn't think you had it in you!"

Caleb shrugged off what Matt said and leaned back in his chair so he was at least a little more comfortable, "If I could drop out I would." He spat.

Hay Lin shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think you would." She said simply. "It was obvious yesterday you have a real love for acting."

Caleb forced a chuckle, and in a tone similar to Irma's sarcastic voice, said, "Yeah. I love it." He didn't expect anyone to reply after that. And they didn't. For some reason, they were all staring past him. Suddenly feeling like he knew the exact reason why, he turned around, and was facing someone's chest. A girls chest. It took self control to keep his mouth from dropping, and behind himself he heard Matt snickering.

"Eyes up here," the voice that the chest belonged to said. Caleb had to blink several times before anchoring his neck so he could look up at the girls face. Unmistakably, after seeing the blonde hair and the eyes he had looked into just yesterday, he knew the chest belonged to Cornelia Hale. Instead of slapping him, like most girls would have, she smiled, and then turned her attention to Hay Lin.

"Hay Lin, I have a huge favour to ask!"

"Go ahead," Hay Lin said, self-consciously wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"So I have cheer at six today, so do you think we can get through my part of the call-back real quick?"

"Yeah, of course," Hay Lin nodded her head, "But you know that when it comes to practice you'll need to be just as committed to the play as you are to cheer."

Cornelia looked like she had been told something she already knew. Wait, she probably did know that. She flashed her white teeth, "Of course I will be."

Caleb watched as her eyes seemed to travel down to wear Irma was sitting. He wasn't sure, but he thought he noticed her expression seem to tense, but after just half a second she seemed to let her face relax again. It took Caleb a second to realize she was looking down at him now. She bent down so she was at his eye level and leaned in closer, so he could smell the perfume she was wearing. Citrus. For a short moment, he thought she was going to kiss him right then and there, but after she started speaking, he let his suspicions drop.

"And as for you," she said quietly, so only he and maybe the person next to him could hear, "I'll see you at call-backs." And then she stood back up straight, and paced off back to her table.

Caleb was out of it today. First, he thought Cornelia was going to kiss him. As if that would happen. But for some reason, he felt for a small second that he _wanted_ her to kiss him. Just to feel what her lips would feel like on his. It was a curiosity kind of thing. Second, he found himself watching her walk off, taking note of the fact that she ha a slight bounce to her walk. And that she had a way nicer body than he had never noticed. And that her hair-

"What was that about?" Irma's voice said from behind him. He spun around in his chair and caught the brunettes eye.

"It seems Caleb has caught someone's attention." Taranee said, and Caleb turned to face her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, some on man. Don't say that was nothing." Matt said, and then Caleb's attention snapped to him.

"What was nothing?"

Matt leaned back in his chair and made a poor attempt at fluttering his eyelashes, "I'll see you at call-backs," he said dreamily in his best impression of Cornelia.

Caleb brought his eyebrows together. "You heard that?" When everyone at the table nodded, he sighed. Maybe she had said it a little louder than he thought.

... ...

Cornelia was pushing open the drama room door a second time of the week. When she noticed more than just a few people sitting on the risers, she began to question whether or not she was late.

"Nice of you to join us, Cornelia." Ms. Monty said sternly. Cornelia finally learned the acting coach's name after cornering Martin after school and asking him.

Cornelia pressed her lips together and took her seat on the risers, setting her bag next to her.

Martin stepped in front of the seated crowd, "Alright. Mike, Cornelia." He looked directly at Cornelia and held out his arm, inviting her up to the front. When she got there - at the same time as Mike, a baby faced boy who was on the football team - Martin quietly said to the both of them, "You guys will be performing this scene," he paused and showed them the lines they were reading out. Then he turned to Cornelia, "Whichever eligible Hercules you do better with will most likely be cast."

Cornelia nodded and looked over her lines quickly. She was going to do her best with both of the eligible Hercs.

Mike started off his lines and Cornelia waited for her turn to speak. The audition went fast, and before she knew it, Martin was at the front with her, calling out the second and final Hercules.

"Caleb Hastings."

Caleb. Where had she heard that name before. Of course. She recognized the eyes and hair that were slowly making their way towards her. Her heart stopped. He was the other Hercules. When he was close enough, she mumbled under her breath to him, "I thought you were called back for Hercules' dad!?"

"Yeah," Caleb mumbled back, "I tried out as his dad. I got called back for him."

Cornelia let out a tiny huff, and then decided she would wait until after they were finished to be angry with him for not telling him the exact truth. It was surprising how quickly Caleb got into character.

They were doing a different scene than she had done with Mike. She felt Caleb sweep her off her feet and carry her towards the two chairs set out that were meant to be a bench.

"So…" Cornelia started out, "Do you have any problems like this?" She rehearsed the lines just as she had practiced them. Perfectly.

"Problems…like what?" Caleb rehearsed his line, and looked nervously towards her, just as the script called for.

Cornelia brought up her foot, which was conveniently wearing a flat like Meg's, and held it in front of Caleb's face. "Weak ankles." She grinned. The rest of the scene went on, and quicker than she wanted it to be, it was over.

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And of course thank you for the reviews on the last chapter as well.

Here's your little look at chapter 4:

... ...

"I would tell you if I could, but I don't think that I should."

Cornelia sighed. She fell back so her head was resting on her pillow, "Please, Hay? Look, if you want to know why I can tell you." She paused for a short moment, then continued on, "It's seven o clock on a Saturday and I have nothing to do. I figured that if you told me who it was I could head over to Mike's or Caleb's - whoever got it - and practice lines with them."

... ...

As always, let me know what you think in a review!


	4. Running Lines

I apologize, I didn't mean to take almost 2 weeks to update. I was grounded from the computer so....anyways! I'm not keeping you all from reading any longer!

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4-Running Lines

Cornelia rolled over in her bed and spoke into her cordless phone, "Yeah, Elyon, seriously I get it."

"I'm just trying to protect you," Elyon's voice said, and Cornelia figured the girl was lucky they weren't in person or else she would have wanted to punch her.

"Well don't worry, they aren't going to like, replace you as my best friend."

She heard Elyon sigh and then reply, "So you're still coming to the party next weekend right?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Cornelia said. Ever since sophomore year Elyon had held a party to celebrate a new school year beginning. For the last two years it had been at her parents beach house and the plan was for it to be held there again. "But listen," Cornelia started up, "I've got to go."

She didn't need to hear Elyon to know that she was nodding, "Okay, well…I'll see you at the mall tomorrow." It was a tradition of hers and Elyon to go shopping every Sunday and grab lunch at the mall.

"Yeah," Cornelia said, and then hung up her phone. She then reached under her bed and pulled out the her cell phone and flipped through her contacts until she came up to Hay Lin's name. She pressed the talk button on her phone, and waited until the third ring.

"Hello?" Hay Lin answered quietly.

"Hi Hay Lin." Cornelia said rather quickly, "So, listen. I know you aren't supposed to tell me because its all confidential until Monday." She stopped and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, "But I was wondering who you guys cast as Hercules."

There was silence for a few moments, like Hay Lin was deciding whether or not to tell her. Then the girls voice responded, "I would tell you if I could, but I don't think that I should."

Cornelia sighed. She fell back so her head was resting on her pillow, "Please, Hay? Look, if you want to know why I can tell you." She paused for a short moment, then continued on, "It's seven o clock on a Saturday and I have nothing to do. I figured that if you told me who it was I could head over to Mike's or Caleb's - whoever got it - and practice lines with them."

Hay Lin's voice once again did not reply for a few moments, but Cornelia was convinced she would tell her. After all, she had made a pretty good reason as to why she wanted to know.

"Caleb got the part," Hay Lin said. "And yes, in case you're wondering, I did tell him already."

Cornelia felt herself starting to smile. "Do you think you could give me his number so I could call him for his address?"

There was the sound of papers shuffling, and Hay Lin read out a number. Cornelia scribbled down the digits onto the paper and thanked Hay Lin. Then she punched the set of numbers into her phone and waited. She really hoped Caleb's family wasn't the kind that only picked up to numbers they knew.

She concluded that they weren't when a voice answered the phone. Cornelia recognized it to be Caleb's and immediately replied.

"Hey Caleb. It's Cornelia."

"Oh…hey."

"So I know you got the part. I was thinking I could pop over tonight and we could run lines? Just give me your address, I can be over in ten."

"Umm…listen, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"You can't say no now, I'm already at my car." She said, even though she was still laying on her bed.

There was silence, and then Caleb replied, "Alright." he said, and then dictated his address to her. She scribbled it onto the same sheet she had written his number on.

"Great, I'll be over soon."

When she got into her car she turned up her music and started singing along to the song playing: _Love Story _by Taylor Swift. She pressed down on her gas pedal and started down the street, thinking to herself that she was happy Caleb had been chosen as Hercules. He was, after all, more muscular than Mike had been. And he wasn't terrible to look at. In fact, he was quite nice to look at once you past the not so nice clothes he wore. Cornelia frowned at herself when she realized what she was thinking about. The fact that she found Caleb attractive was one thing. The fact that her friends wouldn't accept him was another.

... ...

Caleb threw the last of his clothes strewn on the floor into his closet when he heard the doorbell ring. He knew it was Cornelia, and for some reason he was nervous. Normally around girls he was completely comfortable. And he should have been around Cornelia. He had no interest in her, nor would he ever. The last person he imagined himself falling for was a rich girl like her. They were all snobs, as far as he knew.

"Hey," Cornelia smiled when he pulled open the door.

"Hi," he bluntly replied. " I know this place is cramped, and probably not what you're used to but…" he broke off mid-sentence, and started a new topic, "Did you want a drink?"

Cornelia shook her head, "Nope." She stepped into the house and took a quick look around.

Caleb was ready to invite her into the living room when he heard someone behind them.

"Caleb, you didn't tell me you were having a friend over," his father's booming voice said. Caleb looked at his feet as his father stepped forward and held out his hand to Cornelia, "And a pretty one at that. Hi, I'm Julian."

Caleb was surprised Cornelia didn't run out the door after seeing Julian. His hair was a mess, he hadn't shaved in a over a month, and his breath smelled of alcohol. Instead she grinned and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Cornelia. I'm starring in the play alongside Caleb."

"Play?" Julian furrowed his brow and turned to Caleb, "Son, you didn't tell me you were in the play!" Caleb jumped slightly when his father patted him hard on the back. Caleb caught Cornelia's eye and could tell she knew she had said something she shouldn't have.

"Yeah…well," Caleb started, but decided not to bother. He took a few steps backward and glanced at Cornelia, "C'mon. We can practice in my room."

Cornelia stepped round Julian and followed Caleb to the end of the hall, where a room about half the size of hers was.

"I have got to say," Caleb heard her say, "This isn't what I thought you're room would look like."

Caleb couldn't help but grin, "You've imagined what my room looks like?"

He almost burst out laughing when he noticed the color rise in Cornelia's face, "No!" she demanded, "I…I've just been in a lot of boys rooms."

Caleb chuckled, and he noticed Cornelia's mouth drop open.

"That's not what I meant!" She denied, but then she smiled and let out a few giggles, "I just figured you'd have posters of girls in bikinis like most boys do."

Caleb shook his head, "Well, you thought wrong." he replied simply, then gestured to his bed, "You can sit."

Cornelia daintily stepped across the room and took a seat on his bed. "So you're friends with Irma?"

Caleb pulled the spinning chair he had at his desk towards the bed and took a seat, "I thought we were running lines."

Cornelia looked sort of surprised. He watched as she took a breath, "We are. I was just curious."

"Yeah, me and Irma are friends. We became friends after you ditched her."

"Interesting."

"Yep."

"Can I ask you something Caleb?"

"Shoot."

Cornelia took in another breath. The words came out in a jumbled mess and Caleb asked her to repeat herself. "Why does it seem like you don't want to ever talk to me?"

Caleb had to think of an answer, so he bought some time by responding with another question, "You aren't used to not being the center of attention, are you?"

"Not at all." Cornelia said, and he could tell she was being one hundred percent honest. Was this girl for real?

Well, she told the truth, so he decided he might as well tell the truth also. "To me, you seem self-centered, and like you think you're above because you have a rich daddy."

"Stereotypical bitch." He heard her mumble, and he chuckled.

"Don't take it personally. I've got pretty tough opinions on most people."

Cornelia shot him a look that was difficult to make out. Then she shrugged her shoulders and mumbled with sarcasm, "Fine. Because most people wouldn't find that offensive."

Caleb brought his lips together, wanting to take back what he had said. Even though she was who she was he did feel bad about his bluntness. "So, are we going to read these lines?"

Cornelia suddenly seemed to forget everything he had just said. She whipped out her script from her bag and tossed it to her side on the bed. "Which scene?"

Caleb flipped through the first few pages and stopped when he saw Meg's first appearance, "How about the one when they meet. After he rescues her."

Cornelia nodded and stood up for the proper feel of her character.

"Don't you need that?" Caleb held out his arm, holding his index finger in the direction of her script.

"Nah…I know most of the lines."

"Then why did you bring it?"

"A good actress is prepared for any situation." She replied. And Caleb followed up with no further questions.

They ran that scene twice, and then headed onto the one where Meg takes Hercules to spend the day with her, leading onto the weak ankles one they did at Caleb's audition. By the time they were finished, it was nearly ten o clock, and Cornelia figured it was time for her to get going.

"Can I ask you one more thing, Caleb?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Caleb replied.

"Did you really mean it, when you said I was shallow…and self centered?"

Caleb found himself struggling with his answer. Did he really mean that? She had been relatively normal since they actually started speaking. He realized that she didn't think she was above everyone else, but that she just had more confidence than the girls he was used to being around. At least, that's what she had shown him these past few days.

"I think," Caleb started. He paused, searching for the right words. When he found them, he went on, "That's what I thought of you, not what I think of you."

"And what do you think of me," Cornelia asked him.

Once again, Caleb was careful about the selection of his word. "I don't know quite yet."

He walked Cornelia to his front door and pulled it open for her. Cornelia stopped and leaned against the hinges. Even though it was dark, her blonde hair and bright blue eyes stood out vibrantly, "Well, I suppose 'I don't know' is better than 'Self-centered and above.'" She gave him the tiniest smile before walking off into the darkness and into her car.

... ...

Cornelia pressed on her brakes when she reached a yellow light. Caleb had thought she was shallow. She couldn't say she was surprised, but she couldn't say it didn't hurt. Normally it wouldn't. With any other guy, that is, it wouldn't hurt. But maybe Caleb wasn't just any other guy. For some reason, even when he wasn't around, she was thinking about him. She shouldn't have been, because often she didn't think much of other guys besides the famous ones like Channing Tatum. That was why she didn't date very much. Guys at her school weren't the ones she was looking for a long term relationship with. She just liked to have fun with them for about a week and then she got bored. But there was something about Caleb that kept drawing her thoughts to him. At first she figured it must have been that unlike any other guys who flocked over and stared at her, Caleb didn't do that. So now she found herself questioning yet again: Why isn't he interested in me? That was when a new question sparked: Why can't I get him out of my head?

* * *

I'm so excited to get the next chapter posted. I've been planning one of the scenes in it forever!

So Here's a little look at Chapter 5:

... ...

She continued to hold her jacket over her head as she turned to face the road. With the rain falling so hard she hadn't even noticed that a car had slowed down and was moving at her pace. In the drivers seat sat someone she hadn't been expecting to see.

"Do you want a ride?" Caleb asked her.

... ...

And, of course, review!


	5. Secrets

I've been waiting so long to get this chapter up, one of my favorite scenes happens in it. (:

I'm going to try making updates once a week, but that might not stick for too long since exams are coming up really soon. Then I'm heading away for the first bit of summer, but I'm going to try to get as much up as I can before that happens. Also, I'm planning a few more stories to get started within this year. One of them might be another W.I.T.C.H. We'll see, but I have to finish this one first.

And also, I'm sorry if you guys get confused. There are supposed to be little breaks in between scenes, but this stupid site keeps screwing it up and taking out the breaks I put in. I'll fix it eventually, but probably not today. Way too much to do.

* * *

**5-Secrets**

Caleb sat in his history class copying down the set of notes on the overhead projector. He wasn't surprised when Cornelia turned in her seat to speak with him.

"I had fun on Saturday." She smiled, and surprising himself, he smiled back without having to force it.

"Yeah…it was good practice."

"You excited for practice today?"

It took Caleb a moment to clue into what she was talking about. Of course, she was talking about the play, "N-no not really. It's getting to be a drag wasting my time after school."

Cornelia shrugged her shoulders, "It's only been two days. You've got the rest of the year to go." And then she turned back to the front and began copying her notes again.

Caleb shook his head and thought about what she had said. The rest of the year committing to the play. _Yeah, thanks for reminding me._

_... ..._

After being struck by the horrible realization that Cornelia had pointed out to him earlier, Caleb was dreading practice. When he opened the drama room door, he saw a large, round table had been moved in, and the main cast was already sitting around it. Caleb took his seat next to Hay Lin. When she started speaking, he thought she was only directing her, but then he realized she was speaking to everyone at the table.

"Today is just going to be a simple practice. We're just going to read out the script and Ms. Monty will give you all tips on your charisma."

Practice was long. Caleb felt like he was going to fall asleep several times, but when it came to his part he picked up his head and with as much charisma and emotion as he could put into it, he read out each and every line. He was glad they skipped the musical scenes, because he wasn't in the mood to let everyone know just how tone deaf he really was. When he wasn't speaking, he couldn't help but notice Cornelia, who sat at a forty five degree angle across the table from him. She too, put in incredible effort towards her role. By the end of the entire read though, Ms. Monty was giving out voice advice to everyone, starting on one end of the table to the other. When she reached him, he expected that she would tell him he gave too much emotion and caused him to look like an over actor, but that was nothing like what she said. Instead, she offered him a crooked smile and a nod, "You did fairly well. No complaints."

Caleb couldn't hide his shock. Especially when she reached Cornelia and told her to tone it down a bit. She was the one overacting.

Caleb broke into a coy smile, and he knew Hay Lin noticed because she nudged him in the side while giggling softly.

It was a flood of relief when rehearsal was actually over. He was one of the first out of the room and he rushed to his locker.

"So, what's your secret?" A voice said behind him. By its smooth tone he knew who it was instantly.

"What secret?" He asked Cornelia without turning to face her.

She came up beside his locker and leaned on the door next to it, "No former acting experience…and you're that good?" She replied and offered a smile.

Caleb stopped digging through his locker and turned to face her. He noticed for the first time that she was a little more than a head shorter than him. He liked girls that were quite a bit shorter than him…no. That was out of the question. She was Cornelia. And besides, a girl shorter than him wasn't hard to find. But still…NO. He had to start shaking these thoughts from his mind. There was no way he could be interested in Cornelia. Even if she was pretty. Okay, more than pretty. But still, even if she was a better person than he had made her out to be, he didn't want to be interested in her. Whether she was a nice person or not, they were _still too _different.

"I guess I like it a little better than I thought." Caleb offered a grin.

"Yeah, but you weren't that good when we were practicing on Saturday."

"No one was paying attention but you. I didn't have a reason to be good."

Cornelia mouth dropped open and she playfully punched him, only it hurt more than a joking sort of hit should. To his surprise however, she didn't have a smart remark to say in return.

"You heading home?" Caleb suddenly felt himself blurt. What was this? Was he trying to make conversation?

"Nah." Cornelia shook her head, "I have to go to cheer."

Caleb chuckled, "Cheerleading, huh? Wimp."

Cornelia stomped her foot like a five year old. This time, she definitely had a retort, "Wimp? I'd like to see you lifting someone up while they struggle to keep balanced in the middle of their bow and arrow!"

Caleb brought his eyebrows together. He was clearly confused, "I didn't understand a single term you said there."

Cornelia raised her eyebrows, "I'm not surprised. You don't look very smart." She said it in a teasing tone. Or was it a flirting tone? Caleb wasn't sure.

He wouldn't have asked, but even if he had wanted to he wouldn't have had the chance. Cornelia gave him one last smile before spinning around on her heel and starting off towards the gymnasium.

Was she flirting with me? Caleb questioned himself one more time. He shook off the thought as he slammed his locker door. He wandered down the hallways and out the front doors. It was raining lightly, so he pulled on his hood as he headed towards his banged up 1996 Toyota that needed a spray painting job. Now that school and rehearsal was over, it being only five o clock, he figured he could squeeze in a couple hours of work at the shop; to scrape up some extra cash.

... ...

Cornelia went straight up into an extended scale. She worked hard to incorporate this single-based stunt into the cheer routine and she needed to make sure today that she could pull it off. So far, everything about it was working perfectly. "Cradle ready," she said loudly and then felt herself thrust into the air. She did a full twist and landed safely in her base's arms. When Kyle set her down she spun around and threw her arms over his shoulders, "That was great!"

"Good job!" She received a pat on the back from Elyon.

Cornelia grinned, she was proud of herself. She knew she should have quit while she was ahead, but she was having an adrenaline rush from being so successful. And they needed this stunt to be _perfect _as soon as they possibly could. "One more time." She placed her left foot in Kyle's hands and - after she called it - was sent back into the extension. She reached for her shin and pulled it up, focusing on a single spot on the wall. As she pulled up her leg, and held her arm at a straight angle, she felt herself begin to wobble. She struggled to keep her balance and she could feel Kyle doing his best to keep her weight on her heel. She knew she should have listened to her gut. She should have quit while she was ahead. Her body leaned forward and she dropped her leg back to her side, bracing herself for the fall.

Instead of landing comfortably in someone's arms like she would have preferred, she felt five pairs of hands reaching for her back, but they weren't there quick enough, and she hit the ground with a thud.

Cornelia felt the wind knocked out of her and she couldn't breathe for a few seconds afterwards. She had had bad falls after failed stunts before, but none like this. She knew the pain of this would stick for a few days. When she felt her eyes beginning to tear up from both the shock and pain, she blinked to hold them back. She would not cry in front of people.

Instead of accepting the many hands that were reaching out to help her up she helped herself to her feet and reassured them she was fine even though she clearly wasn't. She left the gym for a drink and when she came back, she was proud to see her team working on the pyramid she had taught them last practice.

She sat out for the rest of practice except for the part where she taught them a portion of the dance routine she had come up with. At around eight forty five she wrapped up the practice and headed out with Elyon. It wasn't just raining outside; it was pouring.

"Do you have a ride?" She heard Elyon say.

Cornelia nodded her head, "I left my car at home because my mom said she was going to pick me up today."

Elyon smiled. She was one of the few people who understood just how much that probably meant to Cornelia.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Elyon said and pulled her hood over her head before exiting through the front doors.

Cornelia stood staring out into the sheets of rain falling, waiting for her mom. She waited, and waited…and waited. It was nine fifteen now and still no sign of her. There was a sudden ringing in her pocket and she fished out her cell. **One new message. **It said. She opened the text and saw that it was from her mom.

Cornelia, sorry. Last minute change, I can't make it. -Mom.

Cornelia sighed and bit her bottom lip. It figured. She couldn't say she wasn't surprised. It upset her though. There was no sense calling Elyon. She was probably home by now and Cornelia didn't want to be a bother. There wasn't anyone else she could really think of to call, so she stuck with the worst option. She pulled her sweater over her head (of course, she thought. She had to pick her sports sweater which happened to have no hood) and made her way down the school's property.

She was at the end of the parking lot and already covered with rain. Fifteen more minutes of this and she'd be home. It didn't sound so bad until she actually thought about it. _Fifteen minutes? _She let out a deep breath that in the same instant, let out her frustration as well. She should have seen this coming. She should have known her mom would bail like she always did.

Cornelia made it halfway down the length of the sidewalk surrounding the perimeter of the school when she head her name being called. She continued to hold her jacket over her head as she turned to face the road. With the rain falling so hard she hadn't even noticed that a car had slowed down and was moving at her pace. In the drivers seat sat someone she hadn't been expecting to see.

"Do you want a ride?" Caleb asked her.

Was it just her or did he actually look concerned? Maybe her whole plan had finally begun to work. Cornelia gave him a soft smile and nodded her head. She quickly made her way to his car and pulled on the handle to let herself in

"I'm sorry, I'm soaked. You're seats are going to get wet." she apologized.

Caleb shook his head and put the car into drive. It slowly began to make its way down the street. "It's fine. There's not much more damage that can be done to this thing."

It was true. It needed a serious paintjob. One of the side mirrors was ready to fall off. The tires needed to be replaced and everything about the vehicle was becoming stiff.

"So what were you doing out here?" Caleb asked suddenly.

Cornelia leaned against her door and stared out the window as she answered, "I had cheer practice."

She heard Caleb chuckle beside her, "I meant why were you walking in the rain. Don't you have a car?"

Cornelia continued to stare out the window, "Yes, but my mom was supposed to pick me up today."

Caleb didn't seem to be paying much attention to the road, but for some reason, it didn't make Cornelia nervous one bit. She liked having his attention on her.

"And why didn't she?"

"She bailed." Cornelia replied quickly.

"What about you're friends? Couldn't they have picked you up?"

"I didn't want to be a bother. And what are you out here driving so late for anyways?"

"I just got off of work."

Cornelia suddenly went quiet. She turned back to the window and continued to stare. Or, more like, she was trying to keep her attention away from Caleb. In the midst of his questioning, she had begun to involuntarily take in every aspect of him. He had a strong jaw line, and defined muscles that she honestly didn't know how she could have missed them before. She drew in a deep breath. There was something about him that made her so comfortable. Something that made her feel she could trust him with her secrets. She knew he had to be wondering, and at the moment, he was the closest person to talk to.

"My mom isn't a very good mom." She started, and he tilted his head slightly, so he could see her. "In fact, both of my parents kind of suck." When he didn't respond, she continued, "They're both gone on business trips five days out of the week and when they are home they spend time in their offices doing more work-related stuff.

"I was excited that my mom was going to pick me up today, and I guess my expectations got the best of me when she cancelled."

Finally, Caleb said something. Until that point she hadn't even been sure he was listening, "That sucks."

"So when they're gone me and Lillian, she's my sister, are left in the care of the maid."

She saw Caleb slowly nod his head.

"I mean, what kind of parents are like that? They should know how much my sister needs them! She's only seven."

Caleb stopped the car at a red light, and turned to face her, "They don't sound like very good parents."

Cornelia shrugged her shoulders and leaned her head back onto the rest, "Let's put it this way. My sister call's our maid 'mommy.'"

There was a sudden silence between them after her last comment. Then Cornelia started up again, "Just don't tell anybody that. No one except Elyon knows."

Caleb nodded, and she knew there had been no point in telling him that; he wouldn't have told anyone anyways.

Another silence fell, this one lasting longer. They were halfway to her house by now. She didn't find it strange that Caleb knew where it was. Everyone knew where she lived. It was hard to miss the giant iron gates with the name 'Hale' shaped into them.

"My dad's an alcoholic." Caleb suddenly broke the silence.

At first, Cornelia wasn't sure what to say. Caleb saved her by beginning to speak again.

"He just got out of rehab last month. He hasn't been sober though." He fixed his eyes on the road, as if it were easier to talk when you didn't have to look someone in the eye. "He just refuses to go back."

Cornelia gave him a serious look. She liked that he was sharing something like that with her. "I noticed you guys had a tough relationship the moment I met him." She heard herself blurt.

She noticed Caleb smirk, "How'd you figure that."

"I read people well." It wasn't exactly a lie. She had noticed some tension between the two last Saturday night, but she never expected this. "But I don't understand…why are you telling me this?"

Caleb turned the wheel right and the car followed, "Because, I need you to know at least you have a family. Maybe it doesn't seem like they care about you but they do. As much of a screw-up my dad is, I know he still loves me."

Cornelia pursed her lips together.

When Caleb spoke again, she was surprised at the sudden change in conversation, "You used to be friends with Irma?"

"Yeah," Cornelia said.

"Why aren't you anymore?" Caleb asked.

Cornelia ended up drawing in yet another breath, "Why else? Like most teenage girl problems, it was a boy."

Caleb laughed lightly next to her. He had such a nice…sincerity to his laugh. Another thing Cornelia noted that she liked about him. "Let me guess, you stole him from her?"

Cornelia felt her heart drop to her stomach and a lump rise in her throat upon remembering just what had happened between her and Irma. "Actually, she stole him from me." She honestly figured she would have continued if they hadn't reached her house already. When she pushed open the door, she realized she had barely dried off; and that under her unzipped sports sweater, she was in a cotton white shirt . That was soaked. In a way Caleb wouldn't notice, she tilted her head down. Yep. You could see her striped bra though her shirt. _Great, _she thought. _He probably thinks I'm a slut. _She pulled her sweater together and yanked up the zipper, "Thanks for the ride!" She said quickly and slammed the door. She ran up to her porch and knocked.

When Jeanie, her maid, opened the door, she saw that Caleb had just begun to back out of her driveway. She felt a smile taking place onto her lips at the thought that he had waited for her to get inside to safety and warmth before actually leaving. Her thoughts drew back to her conversation with him in the car. They had shared a lot with each other, after she thought about it. Then she remembered her shirt and bra that he probably saw. That was what ruined the night. She was so afraid that he thought of her as a total tease now. But wait…did it even matter what he thought? No, not really. One part of her said. But the other part of her was screaming, YES! It does matter! Because _he_ matters!

Cornelia tried to shake the thoughts from her head. How could this…how could she…? This was getting all too confusing, but she knew deep down which way she was leaning. She flopped down onto her bed when she reached her room and shut her eyes. It was at that moment that she realized that she had been so busy trying to make him want her, that she had begun to want him just as badly herself.

* * *

I hope you guys liked this chapter, I actually take real pride in this one!

Here's a look at chapter 6. I'm not sure of the title for it yet, so we'll have to see what it'll be called.

... ...

"Remember what you asked me on Saturday?"

_Did you really mean it, when you said I was shallow…and self centered? _

"Well, I think I have an answer better than what I gave you."

Cornelia had to think again, this time not taking as long. He had said _I don't know._

_... ..._

Review please!


	6. Analysis

Chapter 6 (:

* * *

**6-Analysis**

Tuesday afternoon, Caleb sat down next to Hay Lin at the lunch table. Will and Matt were across the round table, already beginning to eat. He brought out the sub he threw together before leaving the house and took a bite into it.

"Is anyone sitting here?" A voice asked from behind him, and he didn't have to turn to know who it was. Instead he caught Will's and Matt's faces; both wearing apathetic expressions. "Take a seat," he said, knowing he didn't have to check if Hay Lin would mind - she wouldn't.

"So, I'm trying this new acting exercise," Cornelia explained after sitting down comfortably in the seat. "Ms. Monty actually recommended it to me this morning. She said that you and I should spend more time with each other so we can 'build a connection.'" Cornelia brought up her hands and did a quoting action with her fingers as she said the last three words. "So I decided I would sit with you at lunch."

Caleb was suddenly uncomfortable. He fought the urge to say 'I'm already feeling a connection.' He felt lucky that he had good self control and could keep the words in his own private thoughts. Instead, he opened his mouth and said, "Cool."

He noticed Cornelia glance across the table and she started talking again, "I'm sorry! That was rude, I'm Cornelia."

Caleb knew he was directing this at Will and Matt. After all, they were the only ones at the table that didn't know each other.

"Hi," Will said from across the table. Caleb recognized the shakiness in her voice. Ever since she was seven she had been using that tone when she was nervous. "I'm Will."

"Matt," Matt introduced himself bluntly, and Caleb guessed Matt was in a state of shock. Not because Cornelia was sitting with them, but because this only confirmed to him that Caleb - his best friend - had to have something going on with this girl to have her sitting with them.

"Nice to meet you," Cornelia smiled. She then began to dig through her bag for something.

Caleb looked up from their table and saw Irma and Taranee heading in their direction. It was plain that Irma was confused. After all, it's not everyday she would walk up to the table and Cornelia would be in her regular seat.

"Hi guys." Taranee said, taking a seat between Will and Hay Lin. "And…"

"Cornelia." Cornelia was quick to fill in the blank.

Taranee looked from Caleb to Cornelia, then back to Caleb. Finally, her eyes settled on Cornelia and she offered an awkward grin, "I'm Taranee."

Caleb noticed Irma was still standing. She had a reluctant expression on her face while she glared at the only empty chair left at the table; the one next to Cornelia. Caleb knew Irma better than to storm off and sit somewhere else. She normally faced her problems. So when she pulled on the back of the last chair and dragged it out far enough for herself to sit, Caleb wasn't surprised.

As the rest of the inhabitants of the table pulled out their lunches and began to eat, Caleb couldn't help but noticed the awkward silence that fell over them. He ended up thinking about his drive home last night, and how he had picked Cornelia up and drove her home. He wondered if she was thinking about that now, too. If she was, she was doing a great job at hiding it, because she had barely looked at him since she sat there.

He bit into his sandwich again when he noticed Cornelia glancing from person to person at the table.

"So do you guys spend all of your lunches…this quietly." Caleb could tell she meant for it to be rhetorical, or not even a question at all.

When no one answered, he watched as she laced her arm through her bag and push her chair away, "You know what, this was stupid of me. I'll just-"

"No, it's fine." Caleb reassured her suddenly. He noticed Irma scowling at him, and that brought a realization upon him. Why exactly was he trying to get Cornelia to stay?

"No, I didn't mean to make this all awkward…" Cornelia was slowly rising from her seat, "I'll just go sit with my friends-"

Caleb grabbed her arm and forced her back down, "It's okay."

"No it's-"

"Just sit down." Caleb said firmly, and to his surprise, Cornelia looked nervous as she sat back on the chair.

Caleb didn't see it, but he felt Matt and Will giving him odd looks. Looks that were screaming, 'What was that sudden burst of wanting her here about?'

"Because, we have to build that connection, right?" Caleb covered for himself.

Cornelia gave him a wide-eyed look. He wasn't sure if she was going to run away right then or not. She didn't. A sudden grin appeared on her face, "Right!" And her attention turned to Will. Within minutes, the two were engaged in deep conversation about something they surprisingly had in common - reading. Soon, Taranee and Hay Lin joined in, naming their favourite books. Even Matt threw in his occasional comment. Caleb found it odd that of all the things Cornelia shared with his friends, it would be reading. She didn't seem the type to curl up on her sofa and read under a cozy blanket.

Caleb breathed a sigh of relief as everything seemed to settle down and the awkwardness lifted. Except for the fact that Irma had isolated herself; eating her lunch and paying attention to her unfinished homework - something she _never_ did.

Caleb then brought his thoughts back to his last words. _We have to build a connection, right? _He remembered what he had thought when Cornelia had first told him that. How he was already feeling something between them. The word seemed to odd to him. Connection. Something he had never really felt with anyone else - or at least not very strongly. But after last night he kept feeling something inside of himself that he couldn't quite sum up. He felt that he had seen a side of Cornelia that not many people knew about. A vulnerable, insecurity about her.

In the midst of their conversation about their favourite books, Caleb caught Cornelia's eye. Just for a second. And in that one, short second, he had the sense that she was already feeling a connection as well.

... ...

Cornelia left through the front doors of the school, and was already halfway down the next block when she heard her name being called from behind her. She was positive that if the smile hadn't already crept onto her face, it would have forced its way on, to show her evident glee that Caleb was chasing after her.

"Hey," Cornelia waited until he caught up next to her, then began walking again.

Caleb was one of those few people who didn't have to work to keep up with her quick paces. She guessed he was naturally fast at walking as well.

"Where's your car?" Cornelia asked.

"You think I'd want to drive home on a beautiful day like this?" Caleb returned.

Cornelia took that answer. It was, after all, the reason she didn't have her car. It was gorgeous out, and there was no reason to punish the earth for it by releasing toxic gases into the air.

"Listen," Caleb started, "Are you busy right now?"

Cornelia felt her stomach suddenly do a flip. _What was that? _She thought silently to herself. Sure, her stomach had flipped before, but not because of a small reason like that. She was so used to guys asking if she was busy, she knew what was coming next. Maybe that's why she felt like she was going to hurl. She was nervous because it was _Caleb _asking her this time. "Umm…no." She fought her urge to sound excited.

Her stomach did another turn when Caleb flashed a smile at her, "Let me buy you a drink."

"I-" Cornelia broke off. She made herself a promise at the beginning of summer. A promise she couldn't even explain to Elyon why she'd made it. No drinks until she was twenty one. "I'm sorry…I don't drink."

Caleb chuckled, "I meant a soda. Or a milkshake."

That was a total palm against forehead moment. Of _course _he was talking about that. She shouldn't have been so stupid. He wouldn't have been offering her an alcoholic drink, especially since they weren't even of age. "Oh…well, then. Yes, I'd love something to drink!" Her relief was expressed in an excited tone; the tone she was trying not to use.

"You really thought I meant alcohol?" Caleb questioned, "That's funny."

"I try." Cornelia grinned, even though she wasn't trying at all.

He took her to the coffee shop a few blocks down from the school. Considering how close it was, Cornelia had never really gone there during lunch breaks or after classes. It was an old-fashioned sort of place, and it seemed they were trying to keep it that way. The waitress who served them was in roller blades with her hair done up like someone you would see from _That 70's Show._

"Sorry about earlier," Caleb said.

"You mean lunch?" Cornelia asked, although she already knew that's what he was talking about.

"Yeah."

"It's fine." She noticed that she had replied too soon, so she slowed down her words when she continued, "It got better after Will and I got talking."

Caleb let out one of his chuckles. The chuckle that Cornelia was beginning to love. "It's funny how the one thing you two have in common is reading."

Cornelia let a slight pout form on her lips, aiming for cuteness which she most obviously achieved, "I'm a very avid reader."

Caleb chuckled again. Not only was Cornelia beginning to love it, she noticed, she was beginning to find it rather sexy.

Their drinks arrived and that's when the conversation stopped for a few moments, until Caleb set down his coffee and looked at Cornelia with his emerald eyes; his face serious.

"Remember what you asked me on Saturday?"

Cornelia thought for a moment. _Did you really mean it, when you said I was shallow…and self centered? _That was the only thing she had asked him, so she figured that must be it. Sort of embarrassed that she had even bothered asking, she nodded her head.

"Well, I think I have an answer better than what I gave you."

Cornelia had to think again, this time not taking as long. He had said _I don't know._

Before she could reply, he went on. "I think…there's a side to you. A side that you don't let many people see because you'd rather them think you have this perfect thing going on."

Cornelia figured you couldn't do much worse than_ I don't know. _But _this? _Was he implying that she was fake. She must have shown her response in her expression, because Caleb quickly covered for himself.

"You have a vulnerability, I mean. But you don't let that show because you don't want to be vulnerable." He paused, biting his bottom lip, then continued, "I think I got to see that side of you last night."

Cornelia felt her whole face soften and she swallowed a lump in her throat. No one had ever told her of this before. Even more, no one had ever seen the side of her Caleb had just mentioned…except Caleb.

Once again, he started before she could reply, "And you find it hard to trust people. Because you've been betrayed by so many people in your life." He leaned back in his chair, "You parents…Irma." He probably could have gone on with the list had he known her a bit better. "You couldn't trust them, so why should you trust anyone else."

"You're wrong." Cornelia felt herself blurt, and before she could stop herself, she let even more escape her mouth, "I trust lots of people. Elyon…and Alchemy. And I must trust you if I told you all of that stuff yesterday."

Caleb arched an eyebrow and Cornelia bit her tongue in her mouth. _What did she just say?_

"And I'm not vulnerable…I…I just…" she trailed off. For a moment she had no idea what exactly what she would say, but then a light bulb went off in her head.

"You try and act all cool, like you don't care," Cornelia said. Now it was her turn to analyze him. "But you do care. You care about your dad and you hate that he won't go back to rehab. And you hate that you have to earn a living for the both of you. And you hate that your like the father in your household."

"How did you know my dad doesn't have a job?"

"It was obvious the way your house looks. Someone was living in it and it wasn't you with the way you're running around from school to rehearsal to work." Cornelia quickly replied. She was on a roll now, and she wasn't about to stop, "_And _you only open up to people who you feel can understand you, because like me, it's too hard to just give out trust."

"So I was right."

"About what?"

"That you find it hard to trust people."

"I-"

Caleb grinned, "Relax." He held up both of his hands, as if he were surrendering to something. "I have a question for you," he said, changing the subject completely.

Cornelia arched one of her eyebrows. Se had boys tell her how sexy it was when she did that, and she was hoping Caleb found it that way as well.

"Why aren't you and Irma friends anymore?"

Cornelia was taken aback, although she tried her best not to show it. Anytime the subject of Irma was brought up she felt her stomach rise to her throat and her heart drop to the floor. She could handle being around the girl, but talking about _what Irma had done to her_. What _she _had done to _Irma_? It was a horrible topic she would rather not face.

"I…" Cornelia started. She brought her eyes up from her drink to meet Caleb's, and noticed just how interested in her answer he actually was. That was why what he said next surprised her.

"If you'd rather not talk about it, I understand."

Cornelia involuntarily shook her head. Like yesterday, this was something she felt she should share with him. She began, although still puzzled as to why she was suddenly so prone to opening up to him.

"At the beginning of freshman year, Irma and I were really close." She started. There was a moment where she felt herself almost physically thrust back into the memory. "I started dating this guy…" she decided not to say the name, "And he was really great, but the thing is, I didn't know that Irma was into him too, and when she told me we got in this huge fight because she was keeping secrets from me. And she had the nerve to tell me that I wasn't considering her feelings."

"That's it?"

Cornelia glared at him and pursed her lips, "You think that's it? Of course not." She took in a breath before continuing, "So we got back to normal about a week later. And then that weekend there was this huge party and I lost her after a few minutes in the crowd. So I figured I'd go find that guy, the one I was dating."

"So…even after Irma told you that she was into him, you still dated him?"

Cornelia shrugged. He made it sound worse than it was, "Irma told me to stay with him. She said I'd piss her off more if I broke it off. Anyways, I went looking for him…and I got a two for one package."

She watched as slow realization washed over Caleb's face. He opened his mouth to say something, but Cornelia started first.

"I found him and Irma. They seemed to be having a great time." She felt her throat close when it came to the last part, and she fought back tears.

"I'm sorry that happened," Caleb said slowly, as if he wasn't even sure it was the right thing to say. "I didn't realize Irma…"

Cornelia hated what she said next. "She's no worse than I am."

"What?"

"And that still doesn't explain why she's so angry with me."

She wanted to bite her tongue. It wasn't like her to just blurt these things to someone. But then again, she had already told the worst yesterday; Caleb already knew most of it, so why not tell the rest and get it out ahead?

"No matter how much she apologized I wouldn't listen. And about a month and a half after that there was another big, big party. That was the day I told Irma I forgave her and that I wanted to hang out with her at the party. The problem was, I didn't really forgive her at all."

Cornelia appreciated that Caleb had stayed silent the entire time, but at the moment, she wished he would interrupt. Not so she wouldn't have to tell him the truth, but so that she wouldn't have to relive it.

"She brought along her new boyfriend, and I took that to my advantage. I cornered him and played nice until he was wrapped around my finger." She stopped when she heard a snort come from Caleb. "What?"

"That's a talent you have, hey?"

"What is?"

Caleb let out a breath and leaned forward, "You're good at making anyone you want like you."

Cornelia hadn't realized she had instinctively leaned forward as well until she felt his breath falling lightly onto her face. She pulled herself back and took a long sip from her drink, "Are you implying something?" Now it was Caleb's turn to lean back, and for some reason, she was surprised by his reaction. He stayed calm after she implied that he was implying that she had gotten him to like her. Wouldn't most guys be flustered? His answer shocked her even more, "I might be."

Cornelia wanted so badly to lean forward and just kiss him. But she held herself back. She felt that if she did that, the butterflies in her stomach might enlarge and she'd throw up. He made her that nervous. So nervous that she felt forced to steer the conversation back to the dreadful topic. "Anyways, Irma caught me and him in pretty much the same position I found her in with my boyfriend a month and a half earlier."

Caleb seemed not to be paying attention. His gaze had shifted to outside, looking out the glass window. There wasn't much interesting out there; a kid riding his bike and the usual traffic. Finally, he responded, "And she hasn't forgiven you?" He said it as a question but she knew he knew the answer.

"I don't blame her," Cornelia shrugged her shoulders and found her eyes being drawn to the ground. Thinking of what she had done made her become ashamed of herself, but actually having to relive the events made her sick.

Caleb seemed to have noticed her expression, because he reached out his hand, as if he was going to place it on top of hers for comfort, but just as the distance between their palms, he pulled his back. "Don't worry about it."

"But…it was so horrible of me."

"That doesn't matter now," Caleb responded, and just by the soft tone in his voice, it was obvious he really did believe that. "It's not something you would do now, is it?"

Cornelia didn't have to think twice, "Of course not."

"Then it's not who you are. So it doesn't matter."

There was a certain truth to not just what he said, but how he was saying it. And that, to Cornelia, was comforting.

* * *

Well, that answers a lot of questions I know some of you were wondering.

As for my next update, I'm sorry but I don't know how long it's going to take. I've got a couple of exams this week and an essay so it might be a bit longer than usual.

Here's a look at chapter 7:

... ...

"Irma…" she started. She held out her hand with the invitation in next to Irma. "You should come too," a small smile appeared on her face. Her expression almost looked…hopeful.

Caleb noticed Irma's eyes hover towards the invitation, and slowly, her hand raised and took it from Cornelia. Caleb thought he saw the smallest of grins fighting itself onto Irma's face, but it didn't win. At last, all Irma said was, "Thanks."

... ...

Review, please and thank you (:


	7. Invitation

I know the update took a while but I warned you. So as for the next one, I also can't say it's going to be quick. If you're a high school student you probably understand me. Exams have started and I had two this week and I have two next week. After that I'm scouting for a job so don't expect an update anytime soon. I wasn't originally going to put this up today but since it's going to be a while before I can get to this story again I figured I wouldn't make you guys wait really really long. So maybe 3-4 weeks for the next chapter to come up, which means I'm gonna make you guys wait again. Sorry about that!

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7-Invitation

"Okay, and we need to invite him for sure," Elyon said. It was after school Wednesday, and she sat on her bed with Alchemy next to her. She picked up the stencil and began to fill in the lines to spell out the name on the envelope. "Cornelia, are you done with the list I gave you?" She looked towards Cornelia, who was sitting on the rotating chair at her computer desk. When Cornelia didn't respond, she called the girls name again. And then a third time, much louder.

"What?" Cornelia looked as if she had just been snapped back into reality.

"The list?" Elyon repeated herself with an air of bitchiness in her tone. She was the one person who could get away with that when it came to speaking with Cornelia.

"Oh, yeah." Cornelia blinked a few times, an attempt to erase whatever it was she was just thinking about. As she handed the list back to Elyon, she decided it wouldn't hurt to ask a little question. "Hey, do you think I could invite a few more people to the party?" Normally Cornelia would have just invited other people anyways, but it was Elyon's party this time and she had to respect that it was up to her who came.

Elyon raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes, "Like who?"

Cornelia shrugged her shoulders, "Like…Hay Lin…and Caleb…and a couple others."

Elyon's eyebrow dropped and her lips formed a pout. "Why would you want to invite them?" She came off a bit snobbish, but Cornelia ignored it.

"Yeah, Cornelia." Alchemy nodded her head. "They aren't exactly…well…" She trailed off, then started with a new excuse, "They don't look like they'd have fun at a party anyways."

Cornelia let her lips fall into a pout. It was her look, she had taught it to both Elyon and Alchemy, so really, she was the only one who should be wearing it. "But…come on, Elyon! You guys would love them if you gave them a chance."

Elyon gave no response.

"Please?"

Silence.

Cornelia pulled herself off the chair and hopped onto the bed. She turned Elyon to face her and gave her the Cornelia stare. The stare that meant 'you have to do this little favor for me because I always sacrifice for you.' Elyon would have said yes anyways. There was one thing you weren't allowed to do to Cornelia Hale and that was say no.

"Alright."

"Yay!" Cornelia hopped back off the bed and over to the desk. She picked up the stack of invitations, a stencil and pen, and sat back on the rotating chair. "Thanks Elyon, I'll make their invites."

... ...

Thursday lunch, the crew was back to their usual seating arrangements. Cornelia sat with them yesterday as well, but she made it clear she was sitting back with Elyon today. Caleb breathed a sigh of relief when she had announced this. Yes, he wanted her to sit with him, but he was sick of Irma actually doing her homework.

Cornelia's announcement to be back at her usual table was what caused everyone to be surprised when she appeared at their lunch table that day.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to eat again. I just wanted to drop something off," she said immediately, as if reading their minds.

Caleb watched as she dug through her bag, and when her hand emerged, he noticed a stack of red envelops with gold print on them. On the envelope stacked on top, he noticed that Hay Lin's name was written in gold font that looked almost like it had come off of the computer. The fact that it was done in pen was given away when he also noticed gold pen marks on Cornelia's hands.

"So there's a party this weekend," Cornelia started, "It's Elyon's back to school thing. Anyways…"

Caleb caught some of the expressions around the table. Taranee's, Will's, and Matt's were shocked. Hay Lin looked oblivious to what was happening, and Irma just looked bored.

"Hay Lin," Cornelia held out the red envelope with Hay Lin's name printed on it, "you get an invite."

Hay Lin's eyes brightened as she took the envelope from Cornelia hands.

"Let's see if I can do this," Caleb heard Cornelia mumble. He had no idea what she was talking about until he noticed her narrowed eyes examining Matt. He also realized that the next few envelopes had no names on them. _Great, _Caleb thought. She had forgotten all of his friends names.

"…It's Matt, right?" Cornelia asked, and Caleb let a breath of air out. For some reason he really wanted her to remember all of his friends names.

"Yep," Matt nodded his head, his look of shock still pasted on his face.

"Here, Matt." Cornelia reached across the table to hand Matt his red envelope. Her gaze then focused on Will, "I remember you're Will." She smiled and once again leaned over the table to give Will the invitation. Next, her gaze rested on Taranee. She bit her bottom lip and Caleb could tell that she was struggling to remember Taranee's name. "Ta…ra…nee?" Cornelia said it very slowly. She was careful not to say it wrong. Caleb almost laughed. This was like a game to Cornelia. _Remember the name and you can invite them to the party _sort of thing.

Taranee nodded her head. Cornelia didn't have to reach across the table this time since Taranee was right next to Caleb.

"Caleb." Cornelia pulled the next envelope out, this time the gold letters were back and his name was printed on it. "I'm only inviting you because I don't want you to feel left out." She handed him the invitation and giggled at what she said.

Caleb shot her a glare, which he followed by a grin. He liked it when she teased him.

Just at that moment, Caleb thought Cornelia was going to walk away. It looked like it too. She turned forty five degrees from the angle she was standing at to talk to them before turning back. He watched from the corner of his eye as she pulled out one last envelope. This one had the gold printing as well, but he was trying so hard to make it seem like he wasn't paying attention that he couldn't make out the name. Cornelia clarified who it was for him.

"Irma…" she started. She held out her hand with the invitation in next to Irma. "You should come too," a small smile appeared on her face. Her expression almost looked…hopeful.

Caleb noticed Irma's eyes hover towards the invitation, and slowly, her hand raised and took it from Cornelia. Caleb thought he saw the smallest of grins fighting itself onto Irma's face, but it didn't win. At last, all Irma said was, "Thanks."

Cornelia stood for another short second before pursing her lips together, and turned on her heel heading back to her table. She suddenly stopped and spun back around, "And it's a pool party…so bring a something you can get wet," she showed off a smile one last time before actually making it back to her table. Caleb was completely unaware that he was watching her until Matt's voice snapped his attention back to the table.

"We going?"

"I think we should," Will said softly. This came as a shock to Caleb. Will didn't often like going to parties; but then again, they didn't get invited to many.

"Me too," Hay Lin agreed, nodding her head a little too much.

Next to Caleb, Taranee shrugged her shoulders. Her reluctance was apparent. "I don't know…I've got a lot to study-"

"Don't even start talking about studying. We're only two weeks into school," Will said.

It was completely done in unison when everyone's eyes darted towards Irma, who had her sandwich stuffed in her mouth. She looked back at each of them individually, then rolled her eyes. She chewed and swallowed. "Maybe…it wouldn't be-"

"We should go," Matt concluded. Then Caleb felt everyone's eyes rest on him. "Thanks man," Matt said.

"For what?"

"C'mon. We know if it wasn't for you we wouldn't even be invited."

Caleb wanted to argue, but it was sort of true. Hay Lin had been friends with Cornelia for nearly three years and she had never once been invited. It only started when _he _started spending time with Cornelia. Caleb wasn't sure what to do other than shrug, "Sure."

"So we're going?" Hay Lin asked.

"I guess I could put off studying for a night…" Taranee shrugged.

"I guess that's a yes," Will said. "But umm…"

"What?" Irma looked up from her food. Caleb took in that Will looked like she was unsure of something.

"I…never mind. You'll think I'm stupid."

"Just spit it out," Matt said, and Caleb could have sworn he noticed Matt's arm shift a little; like he had just poked Will in the side.

"I-I don't really know what to where to these kinds of things."

... ...

"Here, try on this," Irma said, shoving a pair of white shorts into Will's arms. Immediately after Will's comment at lunch, it was decided the four girls would head straight to the mall and find something to wear. Irma, being the one who used to attend party's with Cornelia a few years back, knew what they would need.

Will's nose wrinkled at the shorts she was holding in her arms, "They're…a little short."

"Just try them on," Irma said, and by her tone it was obvious they wouldn't be leaving the store until Will was in those shorts. She practically shoved Will into _Old Navy's _change room.

Will, being a fast changer, came out within thirty seconds. Her whole body from the waist down was stiff, showing off her uncomfortable feeling in the clothes.

"They look nice," Hay Lin smiled.

"Here, Taranee," Irma had suddenly appeared again with something else. A bright yellow camisole and dark blue jean shorts, "You should try on these." She held out her other arm and held out a similar outfit to Hay Lin, "And you wear this, Hay."

After a large amount of reluctance, the girls finally gave in to the outfits Irma had picked out for them. They did agree that the outfits were nice, and that they flaunted their bodies in all the right ways, but Will, Hay Lin, and Taranee were used to jeans and oversized T-shits.

"Thanks for the help, Irma." Will said on behalf of everyone.

"No problem. I've always been good at picking out nice clothes." Irma didn't try to hide her humbleness.

"Hey guys!" They all heard the voice coming from the side of them, and their heads all turned in unison. Coming in from one of the mall's many entrances was Cornelia, with Elyon shortly behind her.

"Hey, Cornelia!" Hay Lin said before the others could.

"What are you here for?"

"Oh, just…shopping…around." Will said slowly.

"Picking up something for the party?"

"Uhh…" Taranee started, unsure what the right answer was. They were all unsure. Was it okay to have to shop for new clothes just for a party or should they already have something nice?

"Well, that's what me and Elyon are here for," Cornelia grinned, gesturing to Elyon.

The girls couldn't help but notice the icy look Elyon was looking them over with. She took extra time to glare at Irma. It was the look that Cornelia would have smacked her across the head for if she had seen it, but since Elyon was slightly behind her, she didn't.

"So what's in the bags?" Cornelia asked, glancing towards the _Old Navy _bags in their hands.

"Oh…" Will said, moving the bag behind her legs. They probably looked like losers shopping at _Old Navy_. Cornelia and Elyon probably got all of their clothes from _H&M _and places like that.

"Just some shorts and stuff," Irma said with absolutely no tone in her voice at all.

"Oh," Cornelia sighed. "Well, we should get going. We need new bikinis for the party." She shrugged with an innocent smile, "_Old Navy_'s got the best ones. You guys should check them out there." And then she disappeared with Elyon into the crowd at _Old Navy._

_... ..._

Friday's practice was held in the small gym because of basketball practice happening in the large one. Cornelia argued that the courts weren't that big and that the cheerleaders needed the space to practice tumbling, but the coach wouldn't give in. She took a deep breath before entering the small gym in an attempt to mask her anger from the other cheer members.

"Okay guys, I wanna try that scale again," Cornelia said.

"Are you sure?" Kyle asked, "You hit the ground pretty hard last time."

"I'm fine," Cornelia nodded. She took her place in the center of the mats and set her foot in Kyle's hands. "Call it Elyon."

"Ready, one two!" Elyon's voice said, and Cornelia was pushed into the air.

This time the scale worked. She pulled up her leg and held a high V with her other arm.

"Cradle ready, one two!" Elyon's voice again.

Cornelia was shot in the air and landed perfectly in Kyle's arm.

"Okay," Cornelia didn't acknowledge the good job she knew she had done. "I wanna try doing that scale and on the next count, instead of cradling, I want to go straight into an arabesque, and then a cradle."

"Cornelia, you sure you can pull that off?" One of the new freshman's (whose name was somewhere lost in Cornelia's head) asked. Her voice held a bit of worry.

"Yeah, I've got it."

"She did a way more difficult stunt last year, this should be easy." Elyon commented.

Once again Cornelia was back in the air, holding her scale. Right at the start of the next count of eight she let her leg go and bent forward with her arms spread to balance her, holding the perfect arabesque.

"Cradle!" Elyon said once again.

The moment Cornelia was at the highest point in the air she would have been for the cradle, she spotted someone standing at the door. It didn't take her a second to recognize just who it was. It seemed that was the same situation for Elyon.

"Hey, this is a closed practice."

"Sorry," Caleb held up his hands, "Just taking a look." He stepped back and was just about to leave when Cornelia stopped him.

"No, it's alright," she blurted, "You should watch and let me know what you think." Caleb stepped back to where he was and leaned on the door, giving Cornelia a small grin and a nod.

For the rest of the practice Cornelia found herself trying harder than she usually did, and putting in a greater effort to hit the stunts on the mark. She ended practice five minutes earlier than she usually would have, and as soon as she left the locker room she basically ran to the front doors to see if Caleb was still around - she found him at the front doors.

"Hey," Cornelia said.

"Hey," he said.

"Why did you show up at practice?"

Caleb shrugged, "I wanted to see if you were interested in running lines with me after you were done."

Cornelia wished she could have said yes, "Sorry. The party's tomorrow so I have to get some things together so I can meet Elyon at the beach house in the morning to set up."

"Ah…well how about you let me give you a ride home?"

Cornelia didn't have to think twice, "Yeah, sure." She said, and pushed her way through the front doors. From behind her she heard Caleb making a smart remark.

"So are you always gonna leave your car at home so you can hitch a ride with me?"

"Are you always going to offer me a ride home?" She was quick to retort.

"Ha-ha," Caleb said, with noted sarcasm.

It didn't seem like she was in his car just a few days ago. In fact, it didn't seem completely normal that she was even in his car at all today. Just last week she hated him for knocking her over and walking by like she was no one. But now she wanted any excuse to spend her time with him.

"So what did you think of the team?" Cornelia asked after Caleb stuck his key into the car and put it into drive.

"If I'm honest you might be offended."

"That bad?" Cornelia was suddenly concerned that her team was horrible and not even worth going to competition with.

Caleb looked at her with a serious face, then broke into a grin, "I'm kidding. They were good."

"I made that whole routine."

"That's something to be proud of?"

"Shut up!" Cornelia said it mixed with a giggle. She hit him softly with the back of her hand, "I'm very proud of that routine."

"You should be," Caleb said, "It's good."

"Thank you." Cornelia said. She found herself then looking down at her shirt, remember the last time she had gotten out of this car. Her white shirt was soaked to a point where you could see right through it. This time she was in black and there was no rain anyways, so she didn't have to bother worrying about what he might see. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Yeah." Caleb answered, "I can't promise I won't tell though.

"Well, I think that when you were watching us practice, I was trying hard to do better."

"Like you were trying to impress me?"

Cornelia couldn't help but smirk. For some reason, she found this easy to admit, "Maybe."

It seemed that every time something - something big - was about to happen, Caleb pulled into her driveway and she had to get out.

"Walk me to my door?" She tried to make it sound like a question and not a demand, although it came out a bit of both.

She noticed that Caleb didn't hesitate to open up his door and walk out after her. They didn't say a word up the rest of the massive driveway until they reached her front door. The nervousness Cornelia had been lacking up till this point was all kicking in now. They were in the perfect setting for a Hollywood styled front porch kiss.

"So…" Caleb started slowly. He had his hands shoved in his pockets until just a few seconds ago, "You aren't going to invite me in."

"I would," Cornelia said quickly, "but it's late, and I haven't eaten or done any homework yet."

Caleb nodded, "I guess I should be getting home and doing that too."

Then he did the most shocking thing. Cornelia was shocked. Instead of pulling her close to him and kissing her like she wished, he pulled her close and into a tight hug. Cornelia wasn't sure what to do other than hug him back. This was the first time anyone had been such a…well, gentleman to her.

There was a sudden creak and the light flooding from inside her house shone out the door. Cornelia pulled herself back and saw her mother standing in the doorway.

"Mom…I thought you weren't back until tomorrow morning."

"I caught an early flight," her mother replied, then turned to Caleb with an unreadable look on her face, "Who's your friend."

"Mom, this is Caleb," Cornelia took a step closer to her mother, "And Caleb, this is my mom, Elizabeth."

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Caleb said, and held out his hand.

Elizabeth glanced down at Caleb's hand, holding hers close to her body, she replied, "Pleasure," in a cool voice.

Caleb seemed to realize that Elizabeth wasn't going to shake his hand, so he let it drop to his side.

"It's late, Cornelia, you should come inside." Her mother said, then she turned her gaze onto Caleb, "Goodnight, Caleb." And she shut the door with a little more force than necessary.

"What are you doing, Cornelia?" Cornelia had escaped into the living room when her mom's voice ordered her to a stop.

"What…do you mean?" Cornelia said quietly, turning towards her mom.

"You know what I mean. Did I open the door at an unwelcoming time?"

"Well, hello to you too." Cornelia said bitterly.

"I've warned you not to get involved with people like that."

"People like what?" Cornelia blurted before she could stop herself, "I don't see a problem with Caleb."

Elizabeth shook her head, glaring daggers at her daughter, "Did you not see how he was dressed? His hair? Everything about him shouts lower class."

Cornelia folded her arms over her chest and pursed hr lips, "I like how he dresses." she raised an eyebrow, "And you consider everyone but us lower class, mother."

Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest in the same way Cornelia had, "How many times do I have to tell you? You can't get involved with those kind of people!"

"And why not!" Cornelia shouted.

"He's _trash_, Cornelia!" Elizabeth shouted back. Cornelia had expected harsh words to come out of her mother's mouth, but the word _trash_ stunned Cornelia into silence. Elizabeth took the moment to her advantage and began again, "Now tell me you and this boy are just friends. Because that's what I would like to hear."

Cornelia bit her tongue in her mouth. There was no way she could say that. No, there was no way she _would_ say that. But when she took two seconds to think about it, they really weren't any more than friends. Not yet, anyways.

"Say it." Her mother demanded.

Cornelia didn't want to say anything, but slowly, she gave into her mothers demands as she always did. "We're just friends."

"Good." Her mother said slowly, as is unsure she actually believed it.

Cornelia turned on her heel and took a few steps towards their kitchen.

"Where do you think you're going?" Elizabeth's voice called Cornelia to a halt again.

"To get some food." Cornelia replied without facing her mother.

"No you're not," Elizabeth said. "You've gained weight since I last saw you. We don't need that progressing." Her words stung Cornelia, but she didn't say anything in return. "Get upstairs and into bed."

Cornelia wanted to spin around and smack her mother across her face. But it was too late to do that as she heard her mother's footsteps grow quieter and quieter, then finally, her office door slam. Cornelia didn't know how long she stood in her place for. Just standing, soaking in the hurtful words her mother had just said. A car door slamming brought her back into reality. She instinctively turned to the large window looking out onto her driveway, and saw Caleb was just pulling out. It was his car door that had slammed. Which meant he had just gotten into his car. Which meant that up until that point, he had been standing outside. Which meant that he had just heard Cornelia's entire conversation with her mom.

* * *

Yes, I know! Cornelia's mom is a horrible person, but hey, it makes a story right?

Since the update is gonna take a while longer I think I'll give you guys a longer peek at the next chapter:

... ...

He noticed Will take in a deep with accompanied with a small glare in his direction. The look quickly vanished from Will's face when Caleb noticed that she wasn't glaring at him. She was glaring behind him. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Matt standing in the hall, in clear view, with two tall and skinny girls laughing next to him. Caleb pressed his lips together and slowly turned back to Will.

"I would have asked you to leave the moment we got here." Will started, "I mean, look at these people! We don't belong here!"

"So why didn't you?" Caleb asked, already knowing the answer. He was ninety nine percent positive that Will already knew that he had figured it out as well.

"How am I supposed to get his attention?"

"Sitting here isn't helping, you know."

... ...

Reviews reviews!


	8. Disaster

Okay, here's chapter 8! School is finally out so hopefully I can get updates a little more often. I have started another story (that hasn't been posted yet) but when it is, if anyone here is a Golden Sun fan you should check out that one too! It probably won't be up until the end of the month though.

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8 - Disaster

It was hard to drive with four girls squished into the back seat laughing at whatever it was they were whispering about and Matt in the passenger seat mumbling to himself tips to hold onto during the party. Caleb sighed heavily when they made it to the party all in one piece. That, to him, was a big accomplishment considering the distractions in his car.

"Okay," Taranee breathed out quietly next to Caleb when they all stepped out of the car. "Are we supposed to go in now?"

Caleb shrugged. He was too surprised at the entire setting to know what they were supposed to do. The parties that you saw on TV shows were exactly what this one looked like. Elyon's beach house was huge, with two balcony's filled with teenagers. The music was blaring and you could see the pool sticking out in the backyard filled with loud girls in their bikinis and guys falling over them.

"Yes, we go in," Irma grumbled. She grabbed Taranee by the arm and dragged her behind her, like she went to parties all the time and was sick of them.

"C'mon man," Matt said. He walked past Caleb with Will and Hay Lin on his other side.

Caleb watched them for a moment. He knew Will and Hay Lin were excited about this, no matter how calm they were trying to act. And he knew Matt was excited as well, but unlike Will and Hay Lin, Matt wasn't trying to hide it. Caleb, however, did not want to be here. In fact, it was the last place he wanted to be. After listening to Cornelia's debacle with her mother, he didn't want to face her. But that was the only thing that he was here for now. To talk with Cornelia about it and discover whether or not she really meant what she had said. Finally, he took a step forward and started towards the door.

... ...

"You don't look like you're having a good time," Elyon said. The one thing Cornelia couldn't stand about Elyon was that she could tell whenever Cornelia had something on her mind, even when she was wearing her best poker face.

"I am," Cornelia reassured her, "It's just…"

Beside her she heard Elyon sigh, "Him?" She was looking in the direction of the door, so Cornelia turned her head, already knowing who would be there.

"Yeah…" Cornelia replied, "Him." She took in a deep breath and turned back to her friend, "Yesterday he heard some things he shouldn't have heard. And I tried calling him this morning before I came here but there was no answer."

Elyon shrugged, "Maybe it's a good thing. I mean, ever since you broke up with…" she stopped herself before saying the name, "You've seemed a lot happier since then."

"But I think that's partly because of Caleb."

"Cornelia, please, you've known him for like, two weeks. It's been months since you were actually with a boy and in those long months you've been doing way better. Believe me, it's not Caleb that fixed you."

The words stung Cornelia, but she didn't argue with Elyon, "Listen. I just want to talk to him. I'll be back real quick."

She watched as Elyon pursed her lips. Then her friends face turned soft and she nodded, "Just don't let him hurt you. You've been through enough."

Cornelia smiled at Elyon's sincerity. She quickly dashed towards Caleb, who was still hovering around the door with Will and Taranee. When she reached the group, Will and Taranee smiled. Caleb just stood with his hands in his pockets and an expression that she didn't even bother trying to make sense of.

"Hey guys, I'm glad you came!" She did her best to sound happy and pumped up along with everyone else at the party. It helped that she practically had to shout her words over the music just so they could hear her. "Can I steal him?" She asked the two girls while taking Caleb by the arm. She had already began to tiptoe away with him before they could say yes.

She led him through the kitchen and into a small room that surprisingly hadn't yet been taken over by someone else. Cornelia shut the door and turned to Caleb. Now she took the time to understand the expression on his face. Bitter.

"I was hoping we could talk."

"I was too," Caleb said, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

"So…?"

"What do you want me to say, Cornelia?" Caleb asked. Yep, even his voice sounded bitter. Like he didn't want to be here.

"Why didn't you answer my calls?"

"Why did you say we were just friends?"

That was the third time in less than two days that someone's words stung Cornelia. However, Caleb's were the ones that hurt the most.

Caleb shook his head, "Because I don't know about you, but I sure have been feeling a lot more than friendship between us!"

There it was. He had just declared his feelings about her, and Cornelia found herself speechless. She had to have stood there at least a minute before she felt her mouth open, "I-" her voice cracked.

"Never mind." Caleb shrugged his shoulders before backing out of the room, "Your silence says enough."

... ...

Caleb stomped out of the room. It didn't take him long to find Will sitting quietly on a couch in the living room. He plopped down next to her and sighed. "I gotta get out of here."

"What?" Will pushed herself up so she was sitting straighter, "No way. You're our ride and we aren't ready yet!"

"You aren't even doing anything. What's your reason to stay?" Caleb asked.

He noticed Will take in a deep breath accompanied with a small glare in his direction. The look quickly vanished from Will's face when Caleb noticed that she wasn't glaring at him. She was glaring behind him. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Matt standing in the hall, in clear view, with two tall and skinny girls laughing next to him. Caleb pressed his lips together and slowly turned back to Will.

"I would have asked you to leave the moment we got here." Will started, "I mean, look at these people! We don't belong here!"

"So why didn't you?" Caleb asked, already knowing the answer. He was ninety nine percent positive that Will already knew that he had figured it out as well.

"How am I supposed to get his attention?"

"Sitting here isn't helping, you know."

Will fell back and rested her back on the couch. "We hang out everyday, and he hasn't once dropped a hint that he's interested in me. And now he's with those two…what should I do?"

At that same moment she asked, Caleb noticed Cornelia standing back with Elyon. She had another guy next to her, and she was laughing. In a quick movement the guy had slipped his arm around Cornelia's waist and pulled her closer to his side.

Caleb didn't have to think twice to answer Will's question, "Make him jealous." He caught Will's eye just as she was turning around to see what he had been staring at. As slow realization crept onto her face, she faced Caleb.

"I'll tell you what, my friend," Will began with a small and soft smile, "You go talk to Cornelia. And I'll find someone I can use to make Matt jealous."

Caleb wasn't sure he liked this deal. Will always knew what was going on in his life, which meant she definitely knew that he had had some sort of fallout with Cornelia just moments ago. But for as long as he and Will had been friends, she had always known what to do to fix any of his problems. All those times and he had never once rewarded her with more than a thank you. Maybe this was the chance he had to repay her. And all he had to say was, 'I'll do it.'

"Fine." Caleb said. He stood up and held out a hand for Will to grab onto. Once he hauled her up, he led her towards a group of guys that he knew from some of his classes. "Hey man," he said to Cedric, the one of the group he knew the best. Last week in gym Cedric used Caleb as an excuse for missing class and Caleb had gotten in trouble for it. At the end of the day Cedric showed up at Caleb's locker and told him that he owed him one big time for taking the blame. Well, this was how he would be repaying Caleb.

"You remember how you owe me something, right?" Caleb asked.

Cedric held a drink in his hand and took a long drink from it before setting it on a close table, "What's your price?"

"I need you to keep Will company." Caleb grabbed Will by the arm and forced her to step forward. "We're trying to get someone to notice her."

"Well, you picked the right guy to make someone jealous," Cedric smiled.

Caleb nodded his head. Cedric took a step towards Will and pushed her away from the group of guys by the small of her back. Caleb took a step backwards and waited until they disappeared into the crowd, and then he turned himself and started heading in Cornelia's direction.

When he caught sight of her he was pleased to see that whoever that guy was with her earlier was gone, and she was talking with Elyon. He noticed a glass in her hands and suddenly her words rang through his head, "I don't drink."

It took several steps before he reached her, and when he did, he came up behind her. He caught Elyon's eye and it was telling him to buzz off, but he didn't listen. Instead, he whispered quietly into Cornelia's ear, "I thought you didn't drink."

Caleb could have sworn that he sent a shiver down Cornelia's spine the way she stiffened. Slowly, she turned around and looked him in the eye. She narrowed her eyes, "I don't. This is cranberry juice."

"Come outside with me?"

Cornelia took a quick glance at Elyon and then nodded at Caleb, "I'll see you later, Elyon," she said before brushing past Caleb, leading the way.

... ...

"So what's your name again?" Cedric asked her.

"Will," she replied. Cedric seemed nice up until he had had a few drinks. Now he was lounging against the wall trying to stand straight.

"Oh yeah," he grinned and held out a hand to her. "Come here Will."

She was definitely uncomfortable. And she was definitely ready to kill Caleb the moment he walked back in through that door. He must have known that Cedric was just another party guy trying to get with any girl he could. But when she noticed Matt making more than a few glances in her direction she figured the plan was working, so she pushed on with it and took Cedric's hand.

"Good girl," Cedric smiled, forcibly pulling her towards him and then letting his arm drape over her shoulder. "You know Will, I don't remember seeing you at school."

"Oh…I don't really remember you either…" Will forced a smile and glanced at the clock. She had been standing here with him for who knows how long and it was starting to get lame. She once again found herself questioning Caleb's methods.

"I think…" Cedric started and Will noticed his speech was slurred, "We should go upstairs." He tried to snake his arm around Will's waist but she pushed his hand away.

"What? You don't want to?" Cedric grinned again, "Come on. Let me show you a good time."

"No…I-"

"Let's go Will. Don't be a tease."

"Listen, Cedric I don't-"

"Come on!" Cedric grabbed Will by her arm and Will wanted to scream when he started to drag her in the direction of the stairs.

"Hey!" Someone called from behind them. The moment she heard the voice she recognized it, and Will breathed a sigh of relief.

"What?" Cedric turned around with a wobble.

"She doesn't want to go with you," Matt said, taking a step closer.

"Yeah. She wants a good time. Tell him Will," Cedric practically spat the words out. He tugged at the bottom of Will's shirt and Will took a step away from him.

"Come back here," there was a sickening demand in his voice that scared Will back another step.

Cedric took a step back towards her.

"One more step and I swear to God, Cedric I'll beat the shit out of you." Matt threatened.

For so long Will wanted Matt to defend her like that but at that moment, she wanted to go back to just being the girl who watched him on the sidelines.

Cedric smiled at Matt and lifted his foot, taunting him. He held out his leg and slowly placed it down. It barely touched the floor by the time Matt ran straight into him, tackling him to the floor.

"Hey! Get off of him! Hey!" People were calling from the crowd. "You go Matt!" "Help Cedric!" "That was a cheap shot!" But the screams all seemed to be drowned out when the sound of a gun popping filled the room.

... ...

"Listen Caleb, I think you made it pretty clear you don't want to talk to me!" Cornelia blurted out as she pushed through the back door and started down the beach.

"You're right," Caleb followed shortly behind her, "I don't. But I promised someone I would."

"Great. Well, we talked. I know you want to leave so you can." Cornelia stated bluntly.

"Wow," Caleb shook his head in disbelief, "I don't do anything wrong…but you do, and you're the one pushing me away. Don't you think it should be the other way around?"

Cornelia crossed her arms over her chest and replied quietly, "That's what you don't get. You did do something wrong. You ruined everything but I decided to ignore it because I actually liked you!"

"What are you…" Caleb was confused. He had never met a girl who could confuse him as badly as Cornelia just did.

"This is my senior year and I wanted it to be perfect! But then I had to meet you and my whole idea of this year got screwed up!"

"How the hell did I screw up your perfect little-"

"You made me fall for you! That's how." Cornelia felt such a relief to say the words she had been denying to even herself. "And that wasn't something I planned to happen."

Caleb took a step backwards after hearing what she said. He had always thought that when he heard those words coming from her it would be under different - better - conditions. He wasn't sure what he was going to say but he somehow had begun to reply when he was interrupted by a loud popping sound.

"What was that!" Cornelia asked, turning back to the house. Suddenly, as if on cue, there were several screams breaking out over the music.

"I don't know," Caleb replied, starting towards the house, and Cornelia was quick to fall into step behind him. "But it sounded like a gun."

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Next update should be in the next two weeks. Here's you peek at the next chapter:

... ...

"I think you should talk to her Caleb."

"I've already tried talking to her and we never seem to get anywhere-"

"Not about that!" Will interrupted him, and then she flopped her head back onto her pillow. "Ask her why she doesn't drink."

... ...

Reeevieeew! (:


	9. Hospital

I'm watching W.I.T.C.H. right now as I post this! Talk about a dedicated fan! I started over a few weeks ago and am now on I is for Illusion. I have to be quick so I can get back to the episode.

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9-Hospital

Time seemed to slow down for Cornelia as she rushed back into the beach house. She saw Elyon with her hand clasped over her mouth and tears spilling out of her eyes.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Cornelia asked her friend, but was quickly distracted by the sight of blood on the floor. Not far from the small puddle lay Will with Matt, Irma, Hay Lin and Taranee at her side. Her head was rested in Matt's lap while Irma had a phone pressed to her ear. "My friend was shot!" She screamed into the phone.

"What happened?" Cornelia asked.

Matt caught her eye and she saw just how worried he was for Will. More than she would have suspected him to be. "One of that ass Cedric's friends pulled a gun after I tackled him."

"Why the hell would you tackle him!" Caleb was suddenly beside Cornelia, kneeling on the ground next to Will.

Matt looked around, as if to make sure no one was listening. There was no hope for him in that department since everyone's eyes were focused on Will. In a hushed voice he replied, "Cedric was trying to get her upstairs, man."

"He what?" Cornelia spun around before she even asked the question and spotted Cedric in the crowd. She instantly started towards him and when she was close enough, she raised her hand and smacked him across the face.

Cedric's head spun from the force. When he turned back to Cornelia she began her rant.

"What the hell Cedric!" She narrowed her eyes at him, "This is your fault!"

"Whatever Cornelia," Cedric was no more sober than he had been earlier, "She's a tease anyways. At least you used to give me a little something'."

"Shut up." Cornelia spat, "Get the hell out of here."

"Fine," Cedric didn't bother putting up a fight. He simply turned around and started towards the door.

"Hold up, man," Caleb's voice came from behind Cornelia.

"What?" Cedric spun around slowly, and just as he faced him, Caleb threw his fist at him. Cedric stumbled backwards and fell onto his back.

"Touch her again and I can give you a matching black eye," Caleb laid out the threat before returning to Will's side.

"The ambulance is coming," Irma informed him before turning her attention to Will, "Hang on, girl."

Under her breath, Taranee said, "I told you guys this party was a bad idea."

... ...

"She's going to be fine," one of the nurses had stepped out of Will's room and was letting them know what exactly was going on. "The shot only hit her in the leg and it's only a minor wound."

"Thank god," Cornelia was even sure who had said that. She sat silently between Caleb and Hay Lin, just as anxious to see Will.

"Can we see her?" Hay Lin asked.

"One at a time please," the nurse replied quickly before turning on her heel and heading down the hall.

Caleb was ready to stand. He knew he would be the first one to see her, but he felt someone's hand pull him back by his shoulder.

"Do you mind?" Cornelia said, "There's something I need to ask her…about Cedric."

"Why are you even here?" Irma said from where she sat across from them.

Cornelia's attention turned to Irma and she narrowed her eyes, "Because out of all of you I think I've had the most experience in situations like this. And besides, I said I have to ask her something." She knew that it wasn't fair she be the first to see Will, considering that the others were closer to her, but she really did feel the need to talk with Will.

"You, Cornelia, are so full of-" Irma started, but Caleb interrupted her by holding up his hand.

"Go," he said to Cornelia. It sounded like an order.

Cornelia silently thanked him and started towards the door again. It creaked when she pushed it open, and for some reason she wanted to apologize to Will for the annoying noise.

"Hey," she started.

"Hi," Will smiled. "I didn't expect you to be the first one in here."

Cornelia smiled and pulled up a chair, "You actually work that hospital gown."

"Thank you," even in her condition Will was ready to grin. "I wish they gave me the pink one."

"Yeah…" Cornelia lost her train of thought for a moment. "Listen…I need to ask you-"

"Why were you so quick to defend me?" Will asked the question so suddenly Cornelia felt like she had been tipped off of her chair. "I mean, you really hit Cedric. And what did he mean about you giving him something?"

She looked towards the door. She could leave right now if she wanted to and not have to explain anything, but then she thought to herself. Maybe this was the reason she wanted to talk to Will so badly. Not to question her but to share her own experience in situations like this to make Will's seem less horrible.

"Okay, first of all, me and Cedric used to date, but that's not the-"

"You did?"

"Yeah. Horrible choice, right?"

Will smirked, "A little."

"Okay…well…" Cornelia searched through her thoughts. Where to begin? She thought. Then, finally, she began to recount to Will the memories that haunted her since the beginning of summer before senior year.

... ...

"Wow," was the first thing Caleb said when he stepped into Will's room. "I didn't think you would go and get shot just to get Matt's attention.

Will narrowed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Ha. Ha. Very funny."

"How are you holding up?"

"Fine. The hospital offers me seven whole T.V channels." Will replied.

"Glad to see you still have your sense of humor."

Will smiled and shut off the television, then turned her attention to Caleb. "So, how did it go with Cornelia while I was getting hit with a bullet.?"

Caleb shrugged his shoulders, "It…I don't know."

"I think you should talk to her Caleb."

"I've already tried talking to her and we never seem to get anywhere-"

"Not about that!" Will interrupted him, and then she flopped her head back onto her pillow. "Ask her why she doesn't drink."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Caleb furrowed his brow and took in a deep breath. "Fine. But then you need to tell Matt everything the next time he comes in this room."

Will narrowed her eyes at him once more, then realized Caleb wasn't going to do anything unless she promised to talk to Matt. "Fine."

Caleb grinned and slid out his chair. He started towards the door, and when he opened it, he had to step out of the way so that Matt could move past him and talk to Will. Before leaving completely, Caleb caught Will's expression and chuckled at how wide her eyes were.

... ...

Caleb found Cornelia in the hospital's courtyard. He came up behind her slowly and sat on the bench next to her. She didn't say anything even after she looked towards him. She just turned her head straight and stared.

"So why don't you drink?

Cornelia continued staring out into the courtyard, "It's personal."

"So?" Caleb said. "You've already told me pretty much everything about you. Why not tell me this?"

"Because, this is something even Elyon doesn't know."

Caleb sighed and leaned back on the bench. "But something Will does?"

It was true. She had told Caleb pretty much all of her secrets, but this one was so much more humiliating and self-degrading than the rest. Then his words hit her. _But something Will does?_ Will had told him something. Which should have been no surprise. She should have expected it since the two were such good friends. The moment she started talking, she kept her gaze locked on the open courtyard, not once looking in Caleb's direction. "It was at the beginning of the summer. At another party at Elyon's." She couldn't believe it. She was getting all of this that had been bottled up for nearly three months out of her system. "I had just broken up with my boyfriend that I'd had for almost six months. So, to mellow the pain, I got really, really, wasted. I remember…someone telling me that…I should lay down."

Caleb stayed quiet and she wished that he would say something. Something to make it easier for her to replay these memories.

"And then…there was a ripping noise and someone had shoved me into a wall. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up. I was hung-over but I was at least conscious enough of myself to realize what happened."

She felt something well up in her throat and she had to swallow it before continuing. Her eyes were beginning to water too, so she blinked continuously. "I was in a room upstairs…alone. And my clothes were off me thrown across the room. I heard Elyon knocking and calling my name, so I got up and pulled my shirt on. And I told her everything was fine…"

She felt her bottom lip begin to quiver, so she bit down on it. "I didn't even know who did it to me. I still don't, but it sucks. Because whoever they were took the one thing from me that I can never get back." She said, her voice shaking. There was a sudden rush of anger that filled her, and she wanted to know who had done it to her. What sick person would take her virginity and leave her to be discovered by someone else.

Finally, after being silent for a long, long time, Caleb spoke, "I'm sorry, Cornelia. That really sucks."

"Yeah," Cornelia didn't hesitate to agree, "But what can you do? I've wasted my time being torn up by it and I need to get past it."

"That's optimistic."

Cornelia shrugged, "I have to be. With all this shit going on in my life."

"Like what? Your mom?" Caleb said it more like he already knew, "don't listen to her. You haven't gained any weight."

Cornelia offered him a soft smile, "Any bit of weight that shouldn't be there my mom has to comment on. Just because she was fat in high school doesn't mean I'm going to be."

Caleb laughed, "Was she fat?"

"Not at all. But there was this one point where she was bulimic, and I swear those were the happiest moments in her life because she was so skinny. Then she went and got pregnant and I blew her up." Cornelia said, "I think that's why she doesn't like me."

"Haven't we discussed this already? She does like you, you know."

"You still believe that after what you saw last night? I swear, she wants me to be as skinny as she was in high school because she thinks _that _is perfection. And then she'll like me a bit better."

"Well, if it matters, I think you look fine."

"Thanks." Cornelia felt her face flush. She offered him a smile before catching sight of the clock. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Tell Will to get better, okay?"

"I-"

"See you, Caleb." She said quickly and darted off as fast as she could. She couldn't be around Caleb. He was beginning to scare her. Not in a bad way, but in a way that she wasn't ready to feel again. Caleb was just like her last boyfriend. She felt comfortable telling him anything and he could take her from being a sad, dark place to laughing again. And She loved her boyfriend more than anyone else at the time. That was something she wasn't ready to feel again, and with Caleb, it was already starting to happen.

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Tah-dah! Here's your peek at chapter 10:

... ...

"Irma, listen. I can explain."

"No, you listen! Have you not seen the way he looks at you? It's the same way you look at him."

"I-"

"I don't get it Cornelia!" Irma's voice was raising, showing just how frustrated she was. "Do you really have feelings for him, or is it just some game, some plan to steal yet another guy from me!" Her voice cracked upon her last words.

"Wait." Cornelia said softly, something just dawning on her. "D-do you have feelings…for Caleb?"

... ...

Thanks for the reviews last time! I'm really happy to see you guys are liking where this is heading. (:


	10. Confrontation

This chapter was not set to come out today but I'm leaving on a trip tomorrow so I figured I'd put something up before I leave. That being said, don't expect an update for at least a month. I won't be back for a week and a half and then I have stuff (like school) to prepare for so things are going to be very hectic.

Thanks for the reviews that were left on the last chapter. I think all of us writers know how we love a good review!

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**10-Confrontation**

On Monday after second block, Caleb saw Cornelia walking in the hallway in the direction opposite him. He waited until she reached him and then turned and began walking in line with her. "Hey." He said, feeling like she hadn't even noticed him.

She didn't slow or speed up her pace, but she didn't look at him either. "Hey."

Caleb let his eyebrows knit together. He took a few quick steps to get ahead of her and stopped. "What's wrong?"

Cornelia shook her head, "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. Something's wrong."

Cornelia made a poor attempt to sidestep him, but failed. "I don't think we should be friends anymore."

Caleb took a moment to process her words, "What?"

Cornelia tried to sidestep him again, this time getting passed. She didn't respond. When she was at least ten steps away from him, Caleb called after her, "Look, I'm sorry I overreacted at the party. I shouldn't have said what I said!"

Cornelia stopped and forced herself around. She looked Caleb in the eye, "It's not about the party, I just…I can't be emotionally involved yet."

Caleb threw his head back and stepped forward a few paces, "Okay. After what you tell me on the beach now you tell me you can't-"

"I don't expect you to understand how scary this is for me! I've never felt like this about anyone."

Caleb noticed heads beginning to turn in the hall, but he didn't care. "To be with me?"

Cornelia shrugged her shoulders. "Like I said, I don't expect you to understand." She then turned, looking almost as if she didn't want to, and continued down the hall.

... ...

Caleb recounted the entire story to Will, Matt, Taranee, and Irma. They listened closely and when he finished, Will was first to ask a question.

"So…she just left?"

Caleb threw his head back, "Yeah, that's what I said."

Will bit her bottom lip, "I get it."

"I don't." Matt still looked confused.

"You wouldn't." Taranee replied, "It's something you need to be a girl to understand."

"I'm with Caleb on this one," Irma said. "I told you she was only trouble, and she was probably just annoyed that you showed absolutely no interest in her. Now that you do, she's done with her little game." She was silenced when both Will and Taranee glared at her discreetly, and when she noticed Caleb's distant expression. "Sorry." She muttered. "Yeah, it's a girl thing. You wouldn't get it."

"So explain it, then." Caleb said.

"Well, she's just scared Caleb. And you can't push her into anything, which I think you get. Chances are she just got out of this relationship and she isn't ready to commit again." Will said. She considered telling Caleb what Cornelia had told her at the hospital. That she and Cedric used to date. But she decided against it, figuring it would probably be safer to go with what Caleb thought was a guess but was really the truth.

"Hey guys!" Hay Lin's cheery voice always lifted the mood even when nobody wanted lifting. She joined the group on the bench and directed her attention to Caleb, "Remember the play practice after school today!"

Caleb groaned and rolled his head back again, "I should have never joined that play."

Hay Lin glared at him, but kept her bright aura, "Too late now." She said, standing up, "I'll see you guys later. I have to go pass the message around."

When Hay Lin was out of hearing distance, Matt turned to Caleb, "You gonna go?"

"I think I have to," Caleb replied. "Hay Lin's super nice until it comes to the play. If I miss one practice she'll rip my head off."

Matt shrugged, "Good point. Good luck." He arose from his spot, the wind picking up at the same time, "Let's get to class Will." He extended his hand for Will to take, which she did with a pink flush spreading over her cheeks.

When the two began to wander towards the school, hands still entwined, Irma said in a suspicious voice. "Anyone know what's up with those two?"

Caleb tried to hide his grin by turning his head away from Irma and Taranee and shrugging his shoulders. "Nope," he said. "Not a clue."

... ...

After hearing about the play practice just after school ended, Cornelia headed to her car in the parking lot to put her books away before going to the drama room. The parking lot emptied with cars quickly, and Cornelia's was one of the last sitting there. When she arrived, however, she did not expect to find Irma waiting by the passenger door.

"Hey…what are you doing at my car?" Cornelia asked, trying not to sound accusatory.

"Why are you leading on Caleb?" Irma quickly retorted, and Cornelia found herself taken aback.

She didn't know what o say other than, "I don't know what you're talking-"

Irma let out a snort to silence Cornelia, "Declaring your feelings for him at the party and no less than two days later telling him you can't even be friends?"

"Oh…" Cornelia was embarrassed quickly. Not just for herself, but for Caleb as well. If Irma knew the rest of them did as well, and if she were in his position, rejection would be humiliating. "Irma, listen. I can explain."

"No, you listen! Have you not seen the way he looks at you? It's the same way you look at him."

"I-"

"I don't get it Cornelia!" Irma's voice was raising, showing just how frustrated she was. "Do you really have feelings for him, or is it just some game, some plan to steal yet another guy from me!" Her voice cracked upon her last words.

"Wait." Cornelia said softly, something just dawning on her. "D-do you have feelings…for Caleb?"

"As if you didn't know!" Irma's eyes were beginning to do something Cornelia had only ever seen once. A light mist was beginning to cover them. They were beginning to water from both the frustration (and from what Cornelia could now understand) from the sadness. Even through her tears, Irma continued. "I'd give anything to have him look at me the way he looks at you. But that's never going to happen because I'm just Irma. Irma, the girl who's like…any other girl! So if you really do have feelings for him, tell him now!" Her voice held strong throughout her words. "Because he is the last person to deserve to feel the way that I feel when I know I can never have him."

Cornelia was once again at a loss for words. She stayed silent until the words just began to spill out. To Irma, she was about to explain everything. "It was a game, at first. I wanted him to like me because he didn't even notice me." Her ears burned hearing such words come out of her mouth, and she hated that she had to say them out loud. "You should have seen the look he gave me after helping me up from the floor the first day I saw him. He looked at me…like he was disgusted by the person I was. I'm so used to being looked at like I'm something amazing and I was being a spoiled self centered brat for thinking that way, but at the time, I just wanted Caleb to think of me like any other guy would!"

She was surprised that Irma had stayed silent through her explanation, and she didn't stop there.

"So yes, it was a game…at first. But not anymore! My feelings for him are real and they're more than anything I've ever felt before! But more than that, me feelings for him scare me and that's why I can't be with him!"

Irma was still, and then slowly, she began to nod her head. "You have to talk to him." Her voice was quiet, "Because I can't stand to see him hurting, and I don't think you can either." She shrugged her shoulders in the smallest motion and brushed past Cornelia, leaving her standing alone. Cornelia sighed, not knowing if it was because she had confessed the truth about why she wanted Caleb so badly, or if it was because she was afraid to face him and tell him what she had just told Irma.

... ...

Caleb took a seat on the opposite end of the room that Cornelia was usually on. Less than two minutes after he took his seat, Cornelia practically stumbled in, looking flushed, and when she looked to Caleb, she wore an expression like she had just seen a ghost.

"Okay," Martin started quickly. "We weren't planning on rehearsing any of the songs until about a month into rehearsals, but Cornelia," He turned to face Cornelia before continuing, "You've got a big song to sing. It's basically the most famous song of the movie and we need you to nail the emotion and the power that Meg portrays. Starting you today with a run and a vocal coach could really do wonders for the real performance."

Caleb couldn't help but notice Cornelia's expression. She had her mouth slightly open and was staring at Martin like he was crazy. After a few seconds she shook her head, "Are you sure? I mean, I'm not exactly prepared. I-I haven't-"

Martin shook his head. "Like I said. We start your practice on it early and the better it will be for the play. Now, you've sung in front of an audience before, this shouldn't be a problem for you."

Cornelia looked at Caleb from the corner of her eye and replied quickly, "Yes, but I've never sang in front of some of these people. They're new, and that's nerve-racking."

"If you aren't comfortable today, we can try next practice, but it's going to happen. And like I said," he repeated himself once again, "The earlier the better."

Caleb watched as Cornelia once again turned her head in his direction. The moment they locked eyes, she threw her bag to her side, "Fine." She mumbled under her breath and proceeded to the front of the room. For someone who starred in several plays before and performed in front of audiences twenty times the size of the one now, Cornelia looked very uncomfortable when she took a poised seat on the chair set out for her. Martin hit the play button on the computer at the back of the room and the instrumental kicked in.

Cornelia took in a deep breath at her line and shut her eyes, concentrating. At the perfect moment, she opened her mouth and began the song.

Caleb could only think of how angry and embarrassed he was about their encounter earlier that morning, but when Cornelia finally opened her eyes at the chorus, she looked directly at him, and his feelings changed. The entire song she trained her eyes on him, as if she were singing the song to him. _About _him. If it wasn't for the emotion in both her eyes and voice, Caleb felt he would have thought this really was just an act.

After practice, and shaking off all of her nerves after having to perform so suddenly, Cornelia left the room in a hurry. It had been a mistake to think of Caleb the entire time she sang the song, much less look at him. Who was she kidding? It hadn't been a mistake. Just looking at him brought out the exact feelings Meg had had for Hercules, and that's what brought her such great reviews from everyone watching today.

If Cornelia hadn't been so lost in thought about her performance, she could have stopped what was coming next. Right next to the main office, she felt herself being pulled by her arm against the wall. When she looked up to see who it was, she saw Caleb and she froze.

"Don't walk away this time," Caleb hadn't let go of her arm yet, and she didn't blame him. All she had ever done was run away.

She shook her arm from his grip and crossed them in front of her. She looked up at him cautiously.

"I don't mean to bother you like this," he started, "but I really need to know what's going on." Cornelia could tell that he noticed the cautious expression she was wearing because he took a step away from her. "I'm sorry about what happened at the party. I overreacted but I don't think I deserve you completely ignoring me!"

Cornelia felt as if her mouth was taped shut. She couldn't open her mouth, and even if she could, she wouldn't know what to say.

"You're telling me we can't be friends but there…just now in practice…that song…" Caleb trailed off slowly before spitting out the words in a jumbled mess. "You sang it not like it was memorized, but like you were really meaning it. Really feeling it…and the entire time you were looking at me. Like you were singing _to me_."

Again, Cornelia didn't know how to reply.

"So if you can look me in the eye right now and tell me you don't have any feelings for me, then I promise, I'm gone. You never have to deal with me again!" He continued, "But if you can't do it, I'm sticking around." He couldn't help adding on a mild sense of humor; extreme situations like this were intimidating, so he added, "So you're just going to have to deal with it."

This time, although after a long silence, Cornelia opened her mouth and said one word. "I-" and she stopped herself. She knew she couldn't say it.

"Why is it so hard for you to accept, Cornelia?" Caleb said. He decreased the amount of space between them, and Cornelia backed herself into the wall to keep herself from falling. "Just say it. Because if you don't, I will."

_Just say it. _She knew he was no longer talking about her denial of her feelings towards him, but her admittance. He wanted her to say those three impossible words. Cornelia knew how she felt, yet she couldn't bring herself to admit anything.

"Fine," Caleb drew back again and took in a deep breath. "Cornelia Hale, you are the most confusing, insane, girl that I've ever met! You're bipolar and bratty but you're also…beautiful and…and funny, talented, and smart. And for all those reasons, I love-"

"Don't!" Cornelia blurted out. She held out both of her hands and threw them over his mouth. "Don't say that!"

Caleb grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her hands away from his mouth. "Why not?"

"Because…because if you say it I'll want to say it back and I don't know if I can yet."

"You don't have to say it back-"

"But I'll want to," she said. She knew she was confusing him. Guys were always confused by a girls logic, so she shook her head and went on. "Look, I don't think I can say it yet. I don't even know if I can generate that feeling anymore, but I need you to understand that with you, I think soon I might. So just wait a little longer, okay?"

Caleb listened intently to the words she spoke, and nodded his head towards the end. "Alright."

Cornelia offered one of her tiny smiles and hugged herself, "Thank you." She said, and she stepped passed him, ready to leave and breath again. That was the one problem with her being around Caleb besides that her heart seemed to race a mile a minute; she had to hold her breath whenever he was near.

When she was just half a foot away from him, she felt him take her by the arm and spin her around to face him. In a quick, fluid motion, he closed the distance between them. Pulling her body to his, he brought his face down and placed his lips on hers. She didn't even make an attempt to pull away. Almost as fast as he kissed her, she kissed him back on his soft lips until they had to pull apart for air. When Cornelia looked up at Caleb's face, he shrugged his shoulders with a grin. "But for that, I couldn't wait another second."

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AHH! Finally, the long awaited kiss! Even I was excited for this moment. Hope this chapter was good enough to cover for the long wait prior to my next update.

Here's your preview for the next one:

... ...

"And I'll have you know I bear witness to Cornelia Hale admitting she has feelings." Irma shoved her chair backwards. "For you. So get your too cool ass out of that chair and open up to that girl, because I hate to admit it…but she deserves someone as good as you." At that Irma stood with her bag under her arm and walked quickly out of the cafeteria, leaving Caleb and everyone else stunned at her sudden change in attitude; at her sudden argument _for_ Cornelia.

... ...

Anyone else notice the last word of almost all my little note things at the bottom of every chapter is 'review'?


	11. Confusion and Clearance

I'm back! Honestly I did plan on getting this up about a week ago but I didn't realize I would be so busy with school! Apologies for the long wait, and I won't keep you waiting any longer.

READ! (:

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**11-Confusion and Clearance**

When Caleb pulled away from Cornelia, he smiled, "But for that, I couldn't wait another second." At first he had second thoughts. Maybe he shouldn't have done that. But slowly, Cornelia returned his smile. "I was sort of hoping you were going to do that." She giggled.

Caleb leaned in for another quick kiss and Cornelia returned it. She pulled herself back and spun on her heel, "Call me tonight, okay?"

Caleb didn't know what else to do other than nod his head. All he could think about was how he wanted to kiss Cornelia again and again, and how just a few weeks ago, he never would have had her on his mind.

... ...

Cornelia didn't expect someone to be standing at her car after practice. This time however, it wasn't Irma. The familiar blonde haired man leaned on her car with his arms crossed.

"What do you want, Cedric?" Cornelia didn't even look at him when she passed. She pulled open her door and sat herself down in her car. Cedric opened the passenger door and sat down in the seat, and turned to Cornelia.

Cornelia started up her car and faced Cedric, ready to kick him out of her car.

"I miss you, Corny." Cedric blurted, and Cornelia bit her tongue. "And I tell you, seeing you kiss that other guy, it-"

This caught Cornelia's attention. "You were spying on us?"

"I…" Cedric started, but stopped. "Just…can we go to your place and talk?"

Cornelia narrowed her eyes at him. She had no interest in talking with Cedric. Not after what he did to Will, and yet, she decided maybe it would be a good idea if they did. Just for her to make things clear that it was over between them. "Fine." She muttered, and shifted the car into drive.

The ride to her house had to be the most awkward situation she had been in for a while. Neither of them said anything, and the air between them was tense. So when Cornelia pulled into her driveway she breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe being in a house would lessen the tension.

The moment Cedric stepped out of his shoes and headed towards the living room, Cornelia asked a question she had been pondering all weekend. "So what's the deal with you saying in front of everyone that I used to give you a little something?" She air quoted. "We both know I didn't."

Cedric welcomed himself into her home like it was his own. He sat down on her couch and replied, "By that I didn't mean you gave me sex. I just meant that we had some pretty good make-outs. I thought you knew that."

Cornelia glared at him and his joking expression disappeared. "Not a time for jokes?" he asked.

"Not at all." Cornelia shook her head.

Cornelia did just as she planned. She told Cedric that it was finished. Everything between them was finished just as she had told him the end of junior year. He took her words surprisingly well and even offered they just be friends. Cornelia, however, declined that offer saying that what he did to Will was beyond horrible and she didn't want anything left to do with him. He took that news worse, but still, not terribly. Cornelia walked him to her front door.

"Well, it was good talking to you again." Cedric said.

"I can't say the same for you." Cornelia replied bluntly, yet honestly.

Cedric chuckled and opened the front door. "Can I have one last goodbye hug?"

Cornelia was hoping he wouldn't ask that. She rolled her eyes and loosely wrapped her arms around him, waiting for him to let go.

"Bye, Cornelia." Cedric said one last time before walking across the street to the opposite sidewalk.

It was then that Cornelia noticed a car across from her driveway, and there was someone standing outside of it. Her heart sank when she realized who it was.

Caleb climbed her driveway and held out his closed hand. Cornelia reached out and Caleb dropped her phone into her hand.

"You dropped it on your way out of the school and I thought I'd drop it off." He peered over her shoulder. "You got any other guys hiding in there, or was it just him?"

Cornelia frowned. "What you saw with Cedric was nothing. He just wanted to get back together but I told him-"

"Back together?" Caleb interrupted her. "You two dated!"

Cornelia wanted to bite back her words. "I thought Will would have told you."

"Will knew!"

Cornelia felt herself saying all of the wrong things today. She decided it would be easier if she just shut her mouth with tape. "Yeah…I…"

"You know what. Never mind." Caleb said, and he spun around heading back towards his car. "I'm done with you Cornelia. You're exactly the person Irma and the rest of them warned me about."

"What!" Cornelia called after him. "What are you talking about! You know me Caleb! I'm not who everyone thinks I am!"

"That's just it, you are!" Caleb continued towards his car. "And getting involved with someone like you was all a big mistake!" He stomped down the sidewalk and reached for his car door.

Cornelia caught up with him quickly and slammed the door shut when he pulled it open. "Someone like me?"

Caleb turned to face her. "Yeah. A spoiled brat who doesn't think before she does. I told myself to stay away from you but I went against my better judgement and that was something I wish I could redo."

Cornelia stepped in front of his door and looked up at him. "You actually think I was being unloyal to you and getting busy with Cedric just now? Well, that's not the kind of girl I am and I thought you knew that!"

Caleb looked past her and replied quietly. "You know what. That's my mistake right there. It's not like we're committed so I guess I should have expected this. And if you weren't doing anything, what is he doing at your house at nine o clock at night!"

"So you do think I was doing it with Cedric." Cornelia stated. She crossed her arms and waited until he brought his gaze back to her. She looked him in the eye and said, "If it really matters to you, I've only ever had sex once. With whatever scumbag raped me. So on top of that, thanks for making me feel like a selfish slut!" She shoved him away from her and stomped a few steps away. "So I'm guessing I get no 'I'm sorry Cornelia for thinking the worst of you.'"

Caleb glared at the ground, and reached for his car handle again. He quickly slid into his seat and started the engine.

"God Caleb!" Cornelia started walking after his car when it began its slow way down the street. She shouted through what were becoming choked tears. "You're wrong! _I _shouldn't have gotten involved with someone like _you_! All it ever meant was that I would get hurt and-"

Caleb rolled down his window and continued with the car at its slow pace. "Go home Cornelia. It's cold. You're gonna get sick." He said quietly, and rolled the window back up.

"Since when do you care!" Cornelia didn't care that she was shouting nonsense. All she wanted was to say something that would hurt Caleb. "You should stop because I don't even care about you anymore! Don't waste your time on me because I'm just a stupid slut!" She finally stopped her shouting and collapsed onto the ground. She brought her hands to her face and sobbed until the tears wouldn't come anymore.

... ...

Caleb hated that for the past two days he sat with his upbeat friends while he sulked. He did his best to hide how he was feeling, but typical Will easily noticed and questioned him on it. He put on a stubborn act but gave in when his table began a ruckus trying to get words out of him.

"Caleb…I'm sorry it turned out like that." Will said softly. "But do you really think she would have done that to you?"

Caleb shook his head, "I believe what she said about Cedric…but that still doesn't change who she is. It's like she's just waiting to hurt me or jeopardize everything. I'm not sticking around for that."

Hay Lin frowned. "I can't believe this."

"I never liked her." Matt shrugged, and they all knew he was lying. In the past few days, it was obvious he had been warming up to Cornelia.

Caleb let his head fall backwards and rest on the chair. "Whatever. It's not like I was actually serious about her." That too, was something everyone knew was a lie. Cornelia was the first girl he had ever talked about within their inner group. Upon bringing his head back up, Caleb noticed Irma with her arms crossed, glaring at him from across the table. It was then that he realized that she had been quiet the entire conversation. "What?" He asked, slightly annoyed.

Irma pursed her lips in that way she did when she was angry. Then, she began. "That girl may be a stuck up bitch half the time, but you can't deny that she's actually…a good person." It sounded as if she had choked the words back out. "I mean, she stayed with us for hours when Will was in the hospital. And she clearly had feelings for you because she was willing to invite a bunch of losers like us to a party just so you would come too." Irma took in a breath after going without one for the mass of her lecture to Caleb. "And I think we all know that you still care about her. And I'll have you know I bear witness to Cornelia Hale admitting she has feelings." Irma shoved her chair backwards. "For you. So get your too cool ass out of that chair and open up to that girl, because I hate to admit it…but she deserves someone as good as you." At that Irma stood with her bag under her arm and walked quickly out of the cafeteria, leaving Caleb and everyone else stunned at her sudden change in attitude; at her sudden argument _for_ Cornelia.

... ...

Caleb leaned against the counter of the smoothie parlour in the mall. The one thing worse than dealing with a rush of customers was dealing with no customers. It was boring and made the day only seem longer. When a trio of customers approached the counter, skateboards in arm, he was actually thankful they were there to pass at least two minutes of his time…that is until he realized who they were.

"Yeah, we'll get three of those orange banana things." Cedric said. Behind him stood his two goons of friends.

Caleb studied each of them before moving. Without a word he prepared the three smoothies and handed them over. Cedric passed him fifteen dollars and with a smug look said, "Keep the change. Maybe you can pay my ex for some action."

"Get out of here." Caleb quickly retorted. Cedric and the other two chuckled as they wandered away from the counter.

When Aldarn walked in from the back door Caleb breathed out a sigh of relief. At least his last two hours on the job would go a bit faster with a co-worker to talk to. And maybe speaking with Aldarn would calm him down a little after the encounter with Cedric.

"Hey." Aldarn nodded in Caleb's direction while he pulled a mandatory apron over his head.

"What's up?" Caleb said as a response.

Aldarn joined Caleb leaning on the counter, crossing his arms. "Business is slow today, huh?"

"Yeah." Caleb had never found Aldarn particularly entertaining but it was still better than talking to no one.

A wave of silence spread over them and they both watched as groups or people passed the store, not even taking a glimpse. Did nobody like smoothies anymore?

"So," Aldarn said, breaking the silence. "I heard that you're seeing Cornelia Hale."

Caleb was at first shocked that Aldarn knew her, but then he remembered that Aldarn attended Sheffield High and was a senior as well. "Yeah." He replied, "I don't know about that anymore."

Aldarn nodded slowly, then shrugged his shoulders, "That's too bad. She's a hot one."

It aggravated Caleb to hear anyone talking about Cornelia like that. "Yep." Caleb said in a bitter tone, as he wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say to that comment.

"And as an added bonus," Aldarn continued, unable to take a hint. "I heard from the man himself that she's good in the bedroom."

An instant flood of questions hit Caleb. Who was the man Aldarn just mentioned? And didn't Cornelia say she'd only ever been with one guy-and that she had absolutely no choice in that matter? For a moment he thought of course people were going to make up rumours like they had been with Cornelia Hale; after all, she was Cornelia Hale. Any guy who was with her would instantly be known as a legend. But there was one thing that set Caleb off apart from all these points. Aldarn had said he heard this news _firsthand._

Once Caleb processed this information - it didn't take long, he spun around and took Aldarn by the shoulders, shoving him into the wall. "Where did you here that?"

"Huh…I-" Aldarn stuttered, then closed his mouth.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Just a guy at school-" Aldarn was nervous. Avoiding eye contact and badly stuttering. He was avoiding answering the question because he knew something, and Caleb realized that.

Caleb tightened his grip on Aldarn and pressed him harder against the wall, "_Where did you hear that?_" Just his tone of voice signalled this was the last time he would ask the question without becoming violent.

"Cedric." Aldarn breathed. "I heard it from Cedric."

Caleb released his tight grip and nearly pushed Aldarn over. He swung open the back door and tore off his apron. Behind him, he head Aldarn calling out. "Hey! Where are you going!"

"I'm leaving early!" Caleb yelled back, but he was already too far away for Aldarn to hear him.

Caleb stomped into the parking lot and swung open the door to his car. He was angry. He was frustrated. But most of all, he felt accomplished. He felt accomplished because suddenly it was as if he had been hit with an epiphany. Because now, he suddenly knew who attacked Cornelia.

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Hope this satisfied the wait. Well, if it did, great, but now you have to wait for the next update for this cliffhanger to be resolved. I love cliffhangers. I'm thinking the wait for the next chapter should be about three weeks so just hold on until then. Here's the teeny look at it:

... ...

"He was really pissed." She answered slowly. "Really, really pissed. But why do you need to know so badly?"

She didn't get an answer because Caleb was already halfway to his car. Elyon's words were all he needed as a conclusion.

... ...

And...reviews much appreciated!


	12. Elyon's Summer Party

I know I said lst update that this would be up in about three weeks. That clearly didn't happen. I was really busy with school. Busy and stressed which left absolutely no time for me to work on this. So this time I will not give an update guess because with the rate things are going I don't know when its going to be.

Anyways, I think you guys are gonna enjoy this chapter. A lot of things are finally going to be made sense of. This chapter takes place three months before the last scene of chapter 11.

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**Chapter 12 - Elyon's Summer Party**

_3 months earlier_

The music was pounding loudly into Cornelia's ears, even though it was in the other room. She felt like she was at a concert where you couldn't even hear the person next to you. And she couldn't. It took Elyon three tries to get through to Cornelia before she ended up shouting in her friends ear. "Cedric looks super pissed!"

Cornelia shook her head and shouted back, "I feel so bad."

"It was for the best." Elyon consoled.

"I was so fed up with him!"

Elyon stood still and quiet for a moment, "You know what! You're getting drunk tonight. It'll numb the pain!" She explained, handing Cornelia a cup filled with the smell of Vodka and some kind of pop. "I'll be the driver tonight."

Cornelia offered a smile, taking the drink gratefully, "Thanks." She knew how much Elyon hated being stuck as the designated driver, so it meant a lot to know she was giving up a night of really partying for her. Cornelia downed the cup in less than a minute and moved onto her second. That disappeared quickly as well. It must have been a short ten minutes later when Elyon led Cornelia to a couch.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Elyon's voice sounded louder than it should have, and Cornelia wasn't sober enough to guess that it was because of all the alcohol she had taken in. She nodded her head up and down twice, and Elyon disappeared in the group of partygoers.

Cornelia sat by herself, leaning her head back onto the headrest and craving another drink. She tried to stand but felt herself spin so she plopped back onto the couch. On the coffee table, she spotted a red cup like the one she held earlier and reached for it. It belonged to someone and she wasn't sure who. She didn't care; she poured the drink down her throat and let out a sigh before leaning back onto the rest. She had never had a strong stomach. Just one drink had her acting crazy, and tonight she had a total of three. Cornelia knew this was really going to take its toll on her in the morning, but after the break-up she suffered earlier that day, she felt nothing could be much worse.

He wanted to hurt her. No girl had ever ended a relationship with him. Girls would kill just to be with him and she had the nerve to think that she could end it with him? And without ever giving him any sex? No. He was not going to accept this. It was ridiculous. He had to hurt her to help himself. And it wasn't going to be in the same way he hurt her before. He wasn't just going to betray her trust or let her come crawling back in her usual degrading way. No, this time was different. He was going to make sure she was hurt physically and scarred emotionally. The party couldn't have been a better time for it all to happen. With Drake's help to get Elyon distracted and away from Cornelia, Cedric could move in. It was almost funny for him to watch her get more and more drunk by the minute, and when she was finally laying on the couch struggling just to keep her eyes open, Cedric knew it was time.

"Wanna have some fun?" He asked his two friends, who he knew would be thrilled with the idea he had in mind. Together, the three of them propped Cornelia up and headed towards the staircase. He wasn't even worried of being caught. At all of the parties like this, everyone would be too drunk to even remember Cornelia being dragged away by three guys, one being her very furious ex-boyfriend.

When Robert and Angelo set her onto the bed, Cedric sent them away, being sure they closed the door behind them. Cedric stepped to the door and turned the lock before making his move on Cornelia. He lifted her off the bed and heard her mumble something he couldn't understand. Not that he cared what she said anyways.

"You think you can get away with this?" Cedric spat the words into her ear. "Breaking up with me? Well, you're going to pay for it, Cornelia Hale." He brought his lips to her hungrily and kissed her hard. The sense of power he now had over her thrilled him, and he pulled away for a second before diving in for more. To feel her weak struggle to pull away pleased him, and he spun her body around. With a great amount of force he shoved her against the wall and her head banged onto the wood. "You think you can screw up everything?" He came close to her and yelled it into her ear.

Roughly, he put his arms around her and dragged her across the room. After throwing her onto the bed, he crawled on himself and reached for the side zipper of her dress. Yes, he thought. This was definitely the perfect revenge.

... ...

Her ears were ringing and her head was throbbing_. _Her first thought was what time it was, then more worried thoughts were brought into perspective. She hurt. Her head hurt and her entire body was sore. Where was she, for that matter? It only took a second after her last thought before she realized she wasn't wearing any clothes. In a panic, she turned her head to either side of the room, and noticed her bright blue dress thrown on the floor next to the bed. Instantly she felt her stomach drop and a lump rise into her throat. She was alone. In a bedroom. Naked. And hurting. She knew this only meant one thing. She could hardly hold back the tears when a knock on the door made her jump.

"Cornelia! Are you in there?" She heard Elyon call through the door. She opened her mouth to reply; to scream for help, but she stopped herself and asked herself a question. How was Elyon going to react to this? What if word got out. It would be humiliating enough telling your best friend but if the entire school found out she would be thrown into the most embarrassing situation of her life. She made a poor attempt to draw in a smooth breath and made her decision. "Yeah…I-I'll be right out." Even she noticed how shaky her voice was.

"Are you alright?" Elyon's voice called through, sounding concerned.

"Y-Yeah." Cornelia forced herself to say. She scrambled off the bed and pulled on her clothes as quickly as she could. Before pulling open the door she breathed in one last time to calm herself. She wiped the tears away from under her eyes with her hands and reached for the knob on the door. Before stepping out into the hallway to meet Elyon she made a promise to herself. She would never tell anyone about this night.

... ...

_Present_

Caleb was positive he was right. He knew he was right, but he was too sensible to just burst into Cedric's territory with the little proof he had. This tiny ounce of doubt brought him to Elyon's front door, which he pounded on until the girl pulled it open with an aggravated expression on her face.

"Do you not have patience?" she asked with an edge to her voice. Clearly she wasn't a fan of Caleb being on her front steps.

Caleb ignored her comment and got straight to his point. "This is about your party at the end of junior year."

"No, you weren't invited." Elyon said sarcastically, and was already turning the door shut. Caleb was quick to react and placed his foot in the way. Elyon let out a lungful of air and let the door still. She raised her eyebrows and waited for him to continue.

"Cedric was there." Caleb stated. "And he and Cornelia had just broken up. How angry was he?"

Elyon knitted her eyebrows together, frustrated, "I don't know. They just broke up so…pretty mad."

"How mad?" Caleb demanded a better answer.

"Why does it matter? It's been three months since-"

"Elyon!"

Elyon jumped at the power in Caleb's voice. There must have been something in how serious he was acting because her annoyance was replaced with a look of concern. "He was really pissed." She answered slowly. "Really, really pissed. But why do you need to know so badly?"

She didn't get an answer because Caleb was already halfway to his car. Elyon's words were all he needed as a conclusion. It was thanks to Cedric carrying his skateboard around the mall that Caleb would know exactly where to find them.

... ...

Cornelia laid on her bed with her face stuffed into her pillow. Her iPod was plugged into its doc and she was listening to her favorite songs to mellow herself to sleep. It was halfway through the second song that she was half-asleep, and at the end of the third song when she was startled out of the calm sense by her phone ringing.

"God, Cornelia. Get a new guy." Elyon's voice was demanding.

"What are you talking about?" Cornelia asked. She rolled onto her back and sat up with a lazy slouch. All she wanted was to take a nap and Elyon was keeping her from that to complain about Caleb again.

"Ugh, it was so weird Corny," Her friend started. Cornelia yawned and rubbed her eyes. "He showed up at my front door."

It was this that caught Cornelia's attention. What would Caleb be doing at Elyon's front door? "Why?" She tried not to sound too eager for an answer.

"He was asking about Cedric. And my party at the end of junior year."

Cornelia frowned, "Why would he care about-" then she stopped, as the thought slowly fell on her. The party. It was _that_ party Caleb was asking about. He was the only one besides Will who knew what happened to her that day. And as for why Caleb would be asking about Cedric; she had just broken up with him. What if…no. There was no way. But Caleb wouldn't have dared going near Elyon's house unless he knew something. Unless he had figured something out and needed conclusions. It was true. The horrible, terrible thought was true. And now she was faced with something even worse. She had to find Caleb before he got to Cedric.

"Corny, are you there?"

"Did Caleb say where he was going?" Cornelia questioned frantically. She was already tearing out her room and flying as quickly as she could down the stairs.

"No, he just-"

"Listen, I'll call you later. I need to find Caleb."

But-"

Cornelia snapped her phone shut, then flipped it open again. She scrolled through her contacts until she found the name she was looking for. She tried calling Caleb twice but there was no answer either time. She settled on her second bet and dialled Will's number.

"Hello?"

"Will, it's Cornelia." She was in her car now, turning the key in the ignition. "Where are you?" "At Matt's." Will giggled.

Cornelia let out a breath. Knowing Matt was with Will made things seem a lot better. Having two girls work to save Caleb wouldn't be the most successful rescue. "I need you to meet me at the skate park. Caleb's in trouble." Cedric was always at the skate park. Even when they were dating he would blow her off to practice his stupid tricks. If Caleb was with Cedric like she thought he would be, they would be there.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Will's giggles ceased and her voice was only filled with concern.

"He found out that it was Cedric. Who raped me." It hurt to say the words, but she had to face the truth at some point, and it had to be soon.

"Holy crap." Will said on the other line. Cornelia heard Will pull the phone away from her ear and begin explaining what was happening to Matt.

"Please hurry Will." Cornelia was already halfway there. When she closed her phone for the last time, she pushed down on the gas, racing against time.

* * *

Yep! A cliffhanger! Here's your peek at the next one:

... ...

"The odds were stacked against you. It was a stupid move, Caleb."

He merely shrugged with his smirk still attached to his face. He tilted his head up so he was looking her in the eye. In the most honest and caring voice she had ever heard, he sincerely recited the lines from the play; the turning point in Meg's and Hercules' relationship. "People do crazy things when they're in love."

... ...

Review and be prepared for a long wait. I'm sorry to do this but school's my priority.


	13. Saved

After about two months of silence I have updated this! I'm not keeping you waiting any longer, just read.

* * *

**13-Saved**

Caleb pulled into the parking lot of the skate park and stepped out of his car. Just as he suspected, Cedric and his two friends were occupying three of the ramps. He approached them with minute amounts of caution not even slowing down when Cedric caught sight of him. Cedric called out to his friends and they stood still at the top of their ramps. Cedric let himself down from his board and began in Caleb's direction.

"Watcha doing here man?" He was less than three steps away when Caleb pulled his arm back and hurled it towards him. Caleb drew his hand back and shook out the tension. Cedric stumbled backward and onto the ground. Suddenly the two others were at his side.

"What the hell!"

Cedric shooed them to the side and struggled to stand up. He steadied himself, "_What _did you just hit me for?"

"You know why." Caleb was ready to hit him again; this time harder.

"Actually," Cedric leaned his neck into his shoulder and a light cracking noise sounded. "I have no idea. If this is about Will I think I've been hit already."

Caleb bit his tongue, "It's about Cornelia."

Cedric's look of frustration quickly vanished. Suddenly he was looking nervous, guilty and angered. He slowly wiped the look from his face and grinned, "So what're you gonna do about it?"

Caleb hadn't thought of that one. He had brought himself here out of anger and revenge but he hadn't really planned what exactly he would do upon getting here. Cedric speaking again stopped him from answering.

"Have fun with my leftovers. She's just a tease anyways."

Caleb knew he was provoking him. He wanted Caleb to hit him again because against all three there was no chance. Caleb made his best attempt at drawing in a steady breath to calm himself, but his attempts were for nothing. What Cedric said next drew the line.

"I could have done the same thing with Will if I wanted to."

Caleb's fist was suddenly breaking into Cedric's cheekbone. He threw his entire body full force into him and knocked them both into the ground. He was winning, Cedric was pinned and he was throwing hit after successful hit until one of the others shoved him off. Suddenly Caleb was on the ground, the three piling on him, throwing their fists. He continued with tries at grinding his knees into their sides and elbowing them away but their strength was too great for his. It was after a piercing knuckle thrust into his eye that he began only seeing shapes. At first their were three large shapes surrounding him, then a fourth came into his shrinking field of view. A loud, high pitched cry was the last thing he heard before he faded into blackness.

... ...

Cornelia raced up the small hill to the scene. Her stomach dropped when she saw three guys piling onto a fourth. She barely made out the one on the ground to be Caleb. She cried out at them to stop, but they didn't even show reaction to her arrival. She hurried to the group and without thinking she threw herself onto the back of the built body she knew to be Cedric's and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. "Get off of him!" She hardly recognized her own voice.

Cedric backed two steps and untangled her arms from him. He stepped back towards Caleb but Cornelia grabbed at his shirt. Cornelia felt herself being tossed back onto the ground. She hit the pavement hard but ignored the pain. They were still pounding on the already unconscious Caleb and she had to stop them.

She once again threw herself onto Cedric's back, this time wrapping her legs around him and pulled her arms as tightly as she could round his neck.

"Get off me slut!" Cedric choked out. His hands were on her arms, trying to pry her off.

"You're hurting him!" Cornelia shouted practically in his ear.

Sure, she had Cedric away, but his two friends were still hurling fists all over Caleb. Will and Matt's timing couldn't have been any better. Will held a small can of pepper spray and began on the faces of the two still attacking Caleb. Matt ran into them from their stomach's while Will continued with the spray. When they had finally had enough they shoved Matt off of them and retrieved their skateboards. They fled the park so quickly it was a question why Cedric considered them his friends.

Cornelia didn't realize she was still letting out frustrated shrieks as she concentrated on keeping Cedric away from Caleb. She noticed Will kneeling next to Caleb checking his pulse. Cedric was still working to pry her arms from him, but his pull was getting weaker. When he collapsed onto all fours on the pavement, Cornelia wasn't sure she should let go yet. She wasn't just doing this to protect Caleb anymore. She was doing it for herself. Now she finally knew the truth and it felt good to be hurting her attacker the way he hurt her. Cedric began coughing, and then Matt was at her side.

"Let him go Cornelia." He said.

Cornelia felt tears escaping her eyes. Her grip on Cedric loosened slightly, but not enough. She wasn't finished with him yet. She wanted to hurt him more.

"C'mon," Matt said softer, kneeling down next to her. "I'll take him. Go see Caleb."

Cornelia pressed her lips together and slowly her arms uncoiled. She let herself off of Cedric carefully before turning towards Caleb who lay motionless on the ground. She started towards him, and within the few steps it took to make it to his side she found herself sobbing, unable to stop.

"I called an ambulance already." Will stated.

Cornelia wiped under her eyes. She didn't want to make any contact with fear that she might make the bruises even bigger than they already were. She hated seeing his eyes swelled up like they were. His nose was crooked, broken, she guessed. And his leg was twisted in an insufferable way. When she heard the distant sound of sirens she didn't feel any better about his condition because of the burning thought in her mind. This was her fault.

... ...

She sat in the most uncomfortable chair for the longest wait of her life. Sometimes she rested her head on the bed beside his hands and held them with hers. Will came in every hour to check up on him and make sure things were going okay. Matt said that they called Caleb's dad but there was no answer, then he added that Julian was probably passed out on a bench somewhere. Will snapped at him for it but they all knew that was the probable truth. It was after Will's fourth check on them that Caleb's hand began squeezing back.

"How are you feeling?"

Caleb made an attempt to turn his head, but he winced and continued staring at the ceiling. "Like I got beat up," he let out a delayed chuckle.

"I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

Cornelia sat up straighter. "It's my fault they hurt you. I shouldn't have told you anything and you wouldn't have ever had to go after him like that."

She knew if it didn't hurt so much Caleb would have shaken his head at that. "It's not your fault."

"It is, and I'm sorry." She always won in arguments, and she figured Caleb would know that by now. When he didn't reply she wasn't sure if it was just him giving up or that he was admitting it was her fault.

"Do me a favor?" Caleb suddenly asked.

"Sure."

He turned his head towards her with his eyes shut (trying to block out the pain of moving). "I haven't seen what I look like yet. Are you like other girls and carry one of those little mirrors with you?"

Cornelia couldn't help but giggle. She knew Caleb was trying to lighten the mood and his horrible attempt at humor was definitely the answer. She reached into her bag and pulled out the purple mirror. "It's called a compact, by the way." She said.

"Whatever." Caleb replied quietly with a grin. She held the compact out and opened it in front of him so he could see his reflection. After sighting just what Cedric and the others had done to his face he whistled and sunk deeper into his pillow. "They broke my nose?"

"Yeah." Cornelia pulled her hand back and put the mirror away. "I don't get why you did it." She said in a very quiet whisper. She wasn't sure he heard until he replied.

"Because he hurt you. I was just…defending your honor." He smirked.

Her mouth dropped and she would have slapped him had he not already been in so much pain. "You're such a loser," she giggled. But then it was as if all the humor was sucked out of her. "The odds were stacked against you. It was a stupid move, Caleb."

He merely shrugged with his smirk still attached to his face. He tilted his head up so he was looking her in the eye. In the most honest and caring voice she had ever heard, he sincerely recited the lines from the play; the turning point in Meg's and Hercules' relationship. "People do crazy things when they're in love."

Cornelia felt her eyebrows raise and her lips part slightly. "Oh, Caleb I thought I said-"

"You don't have to say anything back." He told her, "I just figured _I _waited long enough to say it."

Cornelia couldn't hold back the smile that was fighting its way onto her lips. "You're sweet."

"Thanks," Caleb grinned.

She looked down at her hands, which were now rested in her lap. "Listen, I know this is probably the worst time for me to leave, but there's something I have to do."

Caleb continued gazing up at her, "Mind telling me what it is?"

Cornelia caught his eye and shook her head. "I can't. I'll tell you when I'm finished though, okay?"

She didn't plan on telling him at all. If she had told him before, he would have convinced her not to, and this was something she couldn't just…not do. And if she told him afterwards, he would give her that look that completely read disappointment and she didn't want to disappoint him at all. So she settled on coming up with a lie before showing up at the hospital again.

Just as Cornelia had guessed, Cedric wasn't at the skate park. Her next stop would be his home. Climbing the steps to his door made her stomach turn. She hadn't been on these steps since the end of last year and it was strange to be climbing them again. Before she could even knock on the door, she heard a familiar sound coming from behind the house. Curious, she walked back down the steps and peered around the corner. Cedric was in the alley behind his house, doing some more skate tricks on the ramps he had set up when he first began skateboarding.

Cornelia bit her bottom lip before practically forcing herself towards him. He caught sight of her before she even started speaking. When he turned in her direction she was pleased to see Caleb had at least managed to give him a black eye.

"What do you want?" He snapped.

When the reply came out of Cornelia's mouth, she tried not to sound shaky, but she failed. "I just want you to know I'll be pressing charges for what you did to me at Elyon's party."

At first he didn't show much reaction, but when he stepped his foot off of his board and took a step towards her, his face became serious.

"Oh yeah? And what exactly did I do to you?"

Cornelia folded her arms in front of her, "You know what you did. And I'm-"

Before she could finish, he had lunged forward and grasped one of her arms firmly. Cornelia let out a quick gasp and stepped backwards, but his hold wouldn't break.

"You aren't going to report anything." His breathing grew hard.

Cornelia bit the inside of her cheek and stared him in the eye. She breathed deeply and replied, "You can't stop me."

And it was after those words that Cedric pulled back his other arm and curled his hand into a fist.

* * *

I meant to have this up last week but I got busy. Sadly there is no preview this time for the next chapter because I haven't even started it. I'm sorry to keep doing this to you guys but once again an update is not going to be for a long time. Midterms are right around the corner, and I'm not going to lie to you; I've lost interest in writing this story. Don't worry, it will be completed, but lately I'm in the mood of another category for my fanfictions. That doesn't mean this one will be neglected, it just means there's going to be less time put in by me as far as working on it. This story only has about two more chapters to it anyways so it's not too much to wait for.


	14. Improvements

I warned you guys this would take a while. I really don't know what to say other than I'm sorry it took so long. What was it? Four months? I'm disappointed in myself not only for updating so late but also because this chapter didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. As I said before my interest in this story was at its peek a while back and plummetted very quickly. I still don't have much inspiration as far as this one goes because I've been in the mood for writing in other areas.

So moving away from the depressing fact that W.I.T.C.H. has lost my attention for the time being, I have some news! This is most likely the second last chapter of the story because as you can see the story is very near its end.

Alright, I think I've kept some people waiting far too long so get started on this chapter!

* * *

**14-Improvements**

There was a searing pain striking her left eye seconds after Cedric's hit landed. He hadn't let go of the arm that his hand was tightly coiled around, so she only managed to stumble backwards before he jerked her back upright. She looked up at him, one eye clearly noticing his hand curling back into a fist and the other eye still taking in circles of light. She shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself in any possible way for the next hit.

"HEY!"

Cornelia thought she would never be so happy to hear that voice. She turned in the direction of the voice to see Matt and Will accompanying Irma.

Cedric's grip on her arm loosened and she stepped away from him towards her saviours. Will met her halfway. "Does it hurt?"

Cornelia didn't answer. She watched as Matt made his way towards Cedric.

"Did you really just hit a girl?" Matt was shorter and less built than Cedric, but his walk at that moment was something to make anyone feel five inches smaller - even Cedric.

The blonde haired skater began to take some steps back, avoiding Matt. "Back off." He stated and bent over to grab his board. He stood back up, the board held tightly in his hands.

Matt drew up his arms in a surrender and took a small step back. Now it was Cedric's turn for dominance. He stepped towards Matt, swinging the board carelessly. "Not so tough now, are we?" He mocked.

Matt shook his head and dropped his arms to his side. "No. The problem is you're not worth it." He then turned towards the three girls behind him and opened the car's door, allowing them to enter before himself. He decided one final mockery was a safe bet. "I'll see you at school Cedric," he grinned as if they were friends, and took his place in the driver's seat.

"You okay?" Will questioned Cornelia, who was in the backseat with Irma.

Cornelia nodded her head, already feeling her eye begin to swell. "Once we get some ice." She attempted placing a hand over the eye, embarrassed about how terrible it would soon look, but it hurt just to touch.

"We'll get you some at the hospital," Matt told her from the front seat.

Cornelia quickly glanced at him to see if he was smiling or doing anything that hinted he was joking. He wasn't. He was serious. "You guys-"

"Cornelia, I know it's the last place you want to be," Irma said in a very soft voice. The sincerity in her voice was so genuine Cornelia was shocked. "But Caleb needs to know what just happened."

She shook her head, "I never intended for him to find out, you know."

"But he _needs_ to know."

As much as she hated to admit it, it was the truth. They were doing the right thing bringing her to the hospital to see him. She let out an annoyed groan which was basically directed at herself for the stupid actions she took. "Can we at least go to my house first? We can get ice there and I can get some make-up to do something about this eye."

Irma let out a chuckle, "You are so shallow!"

Cornelia would have narrowed her eyes in a glare but it hurt to squint. Instead she avoided looking at Irma and replied. "It comes naturally."

"Caleb isn't going to care what you look like." Will responded from the front seat. She twisted to face Cornelia.

Cornelia covered her face, shielding Will from looking at her. "Please! My house is closer than the hospital anyways! I'll be quick!"

"Relax." Matt answered. He turned onto the main road, "We'll stop at your place."

Cornelia allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief, thankful to have Matt in the car with them. "Thank you."

They pulled into her driveway about ten minutes later. Cornelia led the way up to the front door as the other three followed behind her. She turned her key in the lock, opening the door as slowly as she could. She hoped to make it upstairs before her maid, Mischa, could see her.

"Wait here." She told them before rushing as quietly as she could into the kitchen. She opened the freezer, grabbing a handful of ice and placed it into a bowl. Just as quickly as she entered, she raced back to the front door and signalled at the others to come in. They tiptoed up the stairs and the moment everyone entered her bedroom, she shut the door with a piece of ice on her eye. She almost collapsed at the relaxing and soothing sensation it released.

"_This_ is your room." Matt slowly stated, taking in his surroundings. Will had the same, awestruck look on her face. Irma, however, stood looking slightly bored - after all, she had been in this room before.

"Yeah." Cornelia answered. She pulled open her make-up drawer and pulled out her most reliable cover-up. She needed something really good at its job to cover up the bruise forming over her eye.

"I see you've taken down some pictures." Irma remarked.

Cornelia turned to see just what Irma was looking at. The brunette was staring at Cornelia's bulletin board, where she placed several memorable pictures or her and Elyon. There used to be pictures of her and Irma (those being the pictures Irma was referring to) but she had taken them down. She bit her tongue, not wanting to reply rudely. "Matt, Will, do you mind waiting in the car? I won't take long and-"

"No problem!" Matt answered. He and Will left the room quietly, leaving only Cornelia and Irma.

Cornelia placed the piece of ice on her eye back into the bowl. She dried off her face with a towel and began to apply the cover-up. She then began to speak to Irma. "I've still got the negatives, if you liked those pictures."

Even Irma's snorts were sarcastic. "I don't want them. I was just commenting on how they're no longer there."

"Why do you insist on using that tone on me?"

Irma wasn't hesitant to reply, "It comes naturally."

Cornelia grimaced at her own words being used against her. She wanted to badly to snap at Irma, but she didn't. She knew that if things were ever going to work out with Caleb, she would have to at least make up with Irma, and now was the time to do so. "Listen to me closely," she began. "Because I am about to do something I never do and for that you better accept what I say. I never apologize first because my whole life that's what I've been taught. By my parents, by my friends and everyone else. I've been taught that I'm too good to apologize for something."

She half-expected Irma to interrupt, so when the girl stayed silent she continued.

"Believe me, I know I'm not perfect. But I think I'll be a little closer when I learn to apologize for my mistakes, and I'm starting with you." She paused, letting the adrenaline ease for a moment. "I'm sorry for what I did. I was terrible to you and I hurt you. I regret it as much as I regret…being with Cedric. No, I regret it more than that. And I know you probably don't want to forgive me but I think it's for the good of everyone if two girls, psycho as you know we can get, start to stand each other again."

For a moment she sincerely thought Irma was going to give her the finger and storm out of her bedroom. Then, in a quiet voice, the brunette replied. "I'm sorry too." She brought her eyes up to meet Cornelia's. "I'm sorry for…everything."

That was enough for Cornelia. Irma had never been good at apologies, so just getting that out of her, with the amount of sincerity in her voice, was enough. "I forgive you." Cornelia responded. She turned back to face the mirror and continued to apply her make-up until the bruise was slightly less noticeable. When she turned back to face Irma, she couldn't help but break into a grin. "Don't ever tell anyone that I apologized first."

Irma let out a chuckle, shaking her head. She rose from Cornelia's bed and joined her on the way out of the house. "Don't ever tell anyone I'm actually starting to like you again." And just like that, Cornelia knew things were only going to get better.

… …

She couldn't deny just how nervous she felt entering Caleb's room. Her make-up had done a decent job but with the bruise growing every second there was no way around him seeing it. She just didn't expect it was the first thing he'd notice when she walked in.

"What the hell do you have a black eye for?"

Had her answer not been so serious she would have laughed at his tone. With evident curiosity, he also sounded slightly amused.

She shrugged her shoulders, pulling a chair up beside his bed and replying. "Don't scold me when I tell you."

He released a sigh, giving her the sense that he already knew. After all, he did send Matt and the others after her so he must have had some idea. "Was it a good idea calling Matt?"

She nodded her head at him, "I'd probably have two black eyes had they not shown up."

He no longer sounded amused. Serious Caleb was back. "What did you do?"

"I went after him." She answered him honestly. If she had learned anything she knew that lying to Caleb would do her no good. "To tell him I'm pressing charges."

Caleb stared for a short moment before responding. "You shouldn't have done that. He really could have hurt you."

"I know, I know. Will already gave me that lecture." She said softly, "But you were sitting here in the hospital and he just got away with hurting you!"

"And look what revenge got you!" He countered swiftly, barely leaving her time to absorb his comment before adding. "A bruise on your eye…your really pretty eye, if I may add."

She smiled at his comment, sensing butterflies. That was one thing about him she didn't think she would ever get past: Everything he did gave her butterflies.

"Why'd you do it?" He asked her.

Cornelia opened her mouth to reply, then closed it with no words escaping her lips. She knew exactly why she did it. It wasn't just about telling Cedric what he had coming. It was because he had put Caleb in the hospital. It was because…she shifted in her seat, twisting her fingers together before locking eyes with Caleb. She reached forward to push his hair from his face, lightly resting her hand above his eyes.

In a soft, sincere voice she said the words that had been building inside of her since the day she met him. "People do crazy things when they're in love."

She had always imagined that when she said those words to him that she would wish to take them back; save herself from being hurt and maintain the independent exterior she had been working on. But now, looking into his eyes and witnessing his reaction the only thing she regretted was not telling him sooner.

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As far as the next update goes, once again it won't be for a while. The next chapter hasn't even been started but I've got it all planned out. It's my free time problem that's keeping me from working on this and also insiration loss. I have so much inspiration for everything except this story! So most of my free time goes into my other work and once again, I find myself apologizing sincerely for that.

I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

Reviews are appreciated!


	15. Epilogue

Wow. I actually thought this wouldn't be up until late may or even early June, but I found this motivation to work on this story. I kept telling myself I've got one chapter left so get to it! It's short, but it's also the epilogue. You can only make those so long!

So here it is, the unexpectedly early epilogue.

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**Epilogue**

_Four Months Later_

Cornelia had to admit, she loved the way her costume looked. She grinned at herself in the mirror, extremely happy with how things turned out. She leaned closer to the mirror to apply her eyeliner when she noticed Hay Lin's reflection racing by the mirror. The Asian girl stopped in her tracks before twirling towards Cornelia, her face twisted in concern.

"What's wrong?" Cornelia asked.

Hay Lin panted in and out for several seconds before answering in a fast-paced response. "I can't find Caleb anywhere!"

Cornelia bit her bottom lip. Caleb was on in seven minutes and Hay Lin couldn't find him? She hastily finished her make-up and rose from the chair. "Okay…um…maybe he's…" she trailed off, with no clue where he could possibly be.

"Martin did say he was looking a little pale last time he saw him," Hay Lin said.

It was easy to put two and two together. This was Caleb's first time acting on stage and it only made sense for him to be a little nervous. She took several steps to the center of backstage, feeling the urge to pace to help herself think. "I'll go find him." She said suddenly. "He's probably in a washroom somewhere!" She bolted from backstage, entering the school's hallways. Settling on the closest washroom to the stage, she entered the men's lavatory without a second thought. "Caleb?"

Sure enough, Caleb emerged from one of the stall's.

"Ew, please tell me you haven't been throwing up. I have to kiss you at the end of this thing, you know." Cornelia felt slightly guilty for thinking about her own needs when Caleb was obviously extremely nervous.

Caleb shook his head, "Nah. I haven't." He answered her quickly as to reassure her. "Just a little…nervous." He offered her a tiny grin.

Cornelia returned the look, making her way towards him. She stopped in front of him, reaching up to place her hand over his cheek. "You'll do fine." She stood up on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck. "Just…get out there and give Hercules a run for his money."

He chuckled, "No pressure." He said in a sarcastic tone.

Cornelia let out a single giggle, at the same time locking her eyes with him. "I'm serious, you'll be fine."

Caleb responded by the shrug of his shoulders. "Thanks. But you know what would really make me feel better?" He didn't wait for her to question it. He slipped his hand on her chin to tilt her head up to face him.

Cornelia could feel his smile as their lips met. She allowed herself to momentarily melt into him; everything about him. The kiss lasted too short for both of them, yet Cornelia did the unwanted deed of pulling away from him. Cornelia smirked, a look Caleb had told her he loved, and turned on her heel. "Let's never kiss in the guy's washroom again." She joked while pulling the washroom's door open. "It's hardly romantic."

She couldn't hold back the grin that made its way onto her face when she felt him close in on her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and they practically waddled (in an attempt to walk) back to the stage. Cornelia found herself in a fit of giggles when they entered backstage.

"Caleb, get in position! You're on in forty seconds!" Hay Lin said as she bypassed them, in a clear rush to instruct someone else to do something.

Cornelia spun around to face Caleb, surprised to see that all traces of his nerves had disappeared from his face. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He answered, making his way to the edge of the stage, still hidden from the audience by the curtain. He admitted one last look at Cornelia, "See you in three scenes from now."

Cornelia stuck out her tongue in response, looking forward to the moment they would share their first scene on stage together.

… …

The concerned look on Caleb's face even had Cornelia convinced. He rushed towards her, perched on the plastic rock and asked, "Um…miss, are you alright?"

Cornelia raised an eyebrow almost expectantly. In her response she smirked at him. "Thanks wonder boy, but I didn't need your help."

She found it extremely difficult to contain her laughter when Caleb drew back and cocked his head, yet she managed.

"Oh…" he said, sounding as disappointed as the script called for. "Well, I, you're…I'm Hercules."

She met his gaze and allowed a real smile to take hold of her face. She only felt warmer when Caleb returned her look with his bold grin. Behind her she could nearly feel Hay Lin's stare, willing her to continue with her line. It was a simple line, really. All she had to do was introduce herself as Meg, yet the words couldn't find their way to her lips.

Finally, after too long of a pause she answered. "My name's Meg."

Funny, it was. She had just convinced a nervous Caleb through her confidence that he would be fine. And he was. She however, couldn't help but escape the loss of words she felt whenever they exchanged a meaningful glance. She grinned at the thought of his effect on her, knowing that if she planned on acting with him again, that was something she would need to get over. She wasn't sure how though, since no one had ever caused her to mess up in a performance before.

All at once, Caleb was probably the worst thing that had ever happened to her acting life, but that really didn't matter. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her in her life as a whole.

He was perfect.

* * *

Well, there you have it! I'm not particularly impressed with how this story turned out in the long run but if you guys like it that's all that matters to me!

I want to say thank you to everyone that left a review, Favorited this story, sent it to their story alerts or even favorited me as an author. It's the biggest compliment and I appreciate it so much.

A special thanks goes out to Lexvan and mad4life, you two were my most dedicated viewers to this story and I can't say how much it meant to see a review from each of you with every update! Thanks so much you two!

One last thing, this probably isn't the last you'll see of me on W.I.T.C.H. fanfiction. Despite my lost in inspiration for it I'm sure it'll come back eventually and I'll be up here posting a new story.

That's all! Thanks for any future reviews on this story!


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